These social and health statistics from Nicaragua help paint a picture of why the Casa Materna is vital to the survival of high-risk expectant mothers. 

• Infant Mortality Rate: 22 per 1,000 births.
• Maternal Mortality Rate: 86.47 per 100,000 live births.
• Only 74% of births are attended by a skilled medical provider.
• Only 48% of children complete primary schooling.

Conditions in rural areas are likely to be worse than these national average findings.

These statistics are available at UNICEF and at the United Nations.

Casa Statistics 2015
Total mothers:  412
Average stay: 7.5 days
Cost of food & basic services per mother per day: $6.68

A beloved country--
Nicaragua

Nicaragua is a beautiful country and its people are vibrant and full of life.  Despite years of war in the 1980s and still present poverty, political instability, and vulnerability to natural disasters, Nicaragua's people continue to rise and seek better conditions for the generations to come.  

Economy

Disparity Remains

• Greater than 40% of Nicaraguans live below the poverty level or on less than $2 USD per day
• More than 80% of Nicaragua’s poor live in the rural areas; many in remote communities where the access to basic services is still a daily challenge
• Lifetime risk of maternal death: 1 in 350; compared to 1 in 2400 in the USA

Get a feel for the sights, sounds, and feel of our beloved Matagalpa as filmed by Katie Brugger (2015).

​Nicaragua is primarily an agricultural country with main exports of coffee, bananas, sugarcane and more.  Tourism is also a continually growing industry.  
Nicaragua remains second only to Haiti as the poorest country in the region.