"This increase is occurring against a backdrop of deteriorating access to maternal and child healthcare," OVO PT stated in a press release, highlighting that 2024 has seen repeated closures of gynecology and obstetrics emergency departments across several Serviço Nacional de Saúde hospitals, particularly in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region.

OVO PT’s response follows newly released data from the National Statistics Institute, which reported 252 deaths of infants under the age of one in 2024. This equates to a mortality rate of 3.0 per 1,000 live births—a 20% rise compared to 2023.

The association expressed “deep concern” over the situation, emphasising that “infant mortality is one of the most sensitive indicators of a country’s overall health.”

"There is an urgent need for accountability within the healthcare system and a clear assessment of its failures, with the sole aim of improving care for patients and families," the organisation stressed. It also called for more comprehensive data collection to better understand the underlying causes of these outcomes.

Due to the lack of robust data, OVO PT questioned whether the increase in infant and maternal mortality is solely the result of insufficient care or whether it also reflects “excessive, non-medically justified interventions, where families are exposed to risk for the sake of convenience or adherence to rigid protocols.”

“The absence of transparent and reliable data deprives women and families of a crucial tool for making informed decisions, while also enabling public opinion to be manipulated by fragile and unreliable statistics,” the statement added.

In the same release, the association also demanded that all pregnant women, regardless of their immigration status, be guaranteed access to a family doctor and proper prenatal monitoring. It warned that thousands of expectant mothers still lack access to general practitioners and basic primary care services, jeopardising the safe monitoring of their pregnancies.

OVO PT further denounced the denial of healthcare access to immigrant women, citing reports of service refusals, administrative barriers, and even physical obstruction from entering health centers. These practices, the organisation argued, are “deeply discriminatory” and constitute “a violation of the fundamental human right to healthcare.”