Maternal mortality and health in the Arab World: A 25-year epidemiological study.

ABSTRACT

AIM: In this work, we aim to assess the maternal health in terms of maternal mortality ratios and lifetime risk of maternal death in of women in the Arab World. METHODS: Data on maternal mortality rates (MMR) and lifetime risk of maternal death (LTR) were extracted from the official databases of the United Nations Children's Fund. Annual Percentage Change was calculated using Joinpoint regression model. Statistical significance among countries was determined using one-way analysis of variance (anova) on spss version 25.0 (IBM SPSS, 2017). RESULTS: The MMR and LTR significantly decreased in almost all Arab countries. Somalia was found to be the country with the highest burden of MMR, while Gulf countries had the lowest burden. CONCLUSION: Our study shows a decrease in the MMR and LTR of maternal death in the Arab world. Although there is a decrease in these rates, but continuous research and efforts must be undergone to better develop the health care system in a great number of Arab countries to decrease the burden of maternal deaths.