- Mexico's First Nations experienced persistent excess mortality, with an age-standardised mortality ratio about 1.1 pre-pandemic.
- Highly preventable causes including diarrhoeal diseases, tuberculosis, malnutrition, anaemia, alcohol disorders and pregnancy issues accounted for 40% of excess deaths.
- Premature mortality was 20% higher in First Nations during 2015-2019, indicating urgent need for more resources and equity-focused interventions.
Cien Saude Colet. 2026 Jul;31(7):e13892024. doi: 10.1590/1413-81232026317.13892024. Epub 2025 Mar 2.
ABSTRACT
This article aims to assess overall and cause-specific excess mortality, its cause-specific distribution, and premature mortality in this vulnerable population in 2015-2022. Since 2014, data on the languages of Mexico’s first nations spoken by persons older than 3 years of age have been collected on death certificates. Age-standardized mortality rates (MR) and their ratios (MRR), proportional mortality, and cause-specific mortality rates were calculated. Years of life potentially lost were calculated using age-specific life expectancy. The COVID-19 pandemic reversed the excess mortality observed during pre-pandemic mortality (MRR of 1.1 [95% CI: 1.1, 1.1]). Prior to the pandemic, there was excess cause-specific mortality of highly preventable conditions such as diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, malnutrition, anemia, alcohol use disorders and alcoholic liver disease, pregnancy-related mortality, which accounted for 40% of excess deaths. In 2015-2019, premature mortality was 20% higher in persons of Mexico’s First Nations. The populations of Mexico’s First Nations have excess mortality. More resources and efforts are needed to eliminate health disparities between the populations of the First Nations and the rest of Mexico.
PMID:42561229 | DOI:10.1590/1413-81232026317.13892024
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