Abstract
Most maternal deaths are preventable, even with limited resources; when a mother dies, she not only leaves her children orphaned, but forces them to face enormous risks, including homelessness, abandonment, abuse, and even jeopardizing their own survival. Objective of study: to understand the elements underlying maternal deaths during the 2016-2018 triennium, from the voice of health professionals participating in the Maternal Mortality Analysis Units in the department of Córdoba (Colombia). The present research is framed within the interpretative paradigm and corresponds to a qualitative descriptive study, with a narrative design; developed from the technique of content analysis, proposed by Bardin; the study sample was due to the theoretical saturation of the data and the collection of information was done through semi-structured interviews with health sector professionals from the public and private sectors. This research was approved by the ethics committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Córdoba. Three categories emerged from the analysis: women and context; which highlight the following factors: gender violence, culture, women's lack of autonomy in seeking health care, and distrust of health services; the second category, which refers to women's geographical and economic barriers to safe and timely access to maternal and child health services; and the third category, which sets forth some reflections on the prevention of maternal mortality. This study identified three underlying factors in maternal mortality in the Córdoba region: the demographic characteristics of women; the social context and care that women receive in health services; factors that help perpetuate the cycle of absent mothers.