PURPOSE:
Improving the quality of maternal health data in Peru has become more than a technical task—it's an urgent need. Behind every entry lies a story, a woman, a pregnancy that deserves accurate and timely information. In 2024, the Ministry of Health launched a national process to audit the nutritional surveillance databases of pregnant women, aiming to enhance indicators such as pregestational Body Mass Index (BMI), gestational weight gain, and hemoglobin levels. These data are vital for monitoring. The initiative was led by the National Institute of Health, specifically the Bio-statistics and Data Analysis Unit of SUVIAN-CENAN. A three-phase methodology was implemented: general data cleansing, replication by population group, and indicator-specific analysis. A “traffic light” system was used to classify data quality by exclusion rate—green (<10%), yellow (11–25%), and red (>26%)—making inconsistencies visible across regions and guiding corrective actions.ng anemia prevention and assessing progress in maternal health policies.

DISCUSSION:
The findings were striking: 35.1% of gestational weight gain data, 31% of BMI data, and 27.6% of hemoglobin records were excluded due to inconsistencies. These figures revealed major gaps in data recording, standardization, and system integration. As a result, key recommendations were issued, including continuous staff training, improvement of digital systems (HIS), the implementation of electronic health records with built-in validation, and the establishment of a national data quality monitoring framework.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
What this experience made clear is that without reliable data, every strategy is at risk. Accurate records lead to better decisions—and ultimately, better care. This initiative showed that fostering a culture that values data quality at every level, from local clinics to national health systems, is not only possible but necessary. When data become more than numbers—when they reflect real lives and guide real actions—maternal care becomes more equitable, responsive, and human-centered.

KEY MESSAGE:
maternal health, data quality, gestational indicators, nutritional surveillance, health information systems Spanish - policy (including three-minute presentation competition)