Maternal mortality during war time in Tigray, Ethiopia: A community-based study.

OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to examine the impact of war on maternal mortality following an exacerbation in the dynamics of inequality in maternal health caused by the continuing conflict. DESIGN: Community-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia, between November 2020 and May 2022. POPULATION: This study surveyed a total of 189 087 households from six of the seven zones of Tigray in 121 tabiyas from 31 districts selected. A multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select the districts and tabiyas. METHODS: The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, reproductive-age deaths that occurred during the study period were screened. In the second phase, verbal autopsies were conducted at the screened households. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal mortality ratio level and cause-specific mortality. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that the maternal mortality ratio was 840 (95% CI 739-914) per 100 000 live births. Haemorrhage, 107 (42.8%), pregnancy-induced hypertension, 21 (8.4%), and accidents, 14 (5.6%), were the main causes of mortality. Additionally, 203 (81.2%) of the mothers died outside of a health facility. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown a higher maternal mortality ratio following the dynamics of the Tigray war, as compared with the pre-war level of 186/100 000. Furthermore, potentially many of the pregnancy-related deaths could have been prevented with access to preventive and emergency services. Given the destruction and looting of many facilities, the restoration and improvement of the Tigray health system must take precedence.

A population-based estimation of maternal mortality in Lagos State, Nigeria using the indirect sisterhood method.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy and delivery deaths represent a risk to women, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This population-based survey was conducted to provide estimates of the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Lagos Nigeria. METHODS: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in mapped Wards and Enumeration Areas (EA) of all Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos, among 9,986 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) from April to August 2022 using a 2-stage cluster sampling technique. A semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire adapted from nationally representative surveys was administered using REDCap by trained field assistants for data collection on socio-demographics, reproductive health, fertility, and maternal mortality. Data were analysed using SPSS and MMR was estimated using the indirect sisterhood method. Ethical approval was obtained from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Health Research and Ethics Committee. RESULTS: Most of the respondents (28.7%) were aged 25-29 years. Out of 546 deceased sisters reported, 120 (22%) died from maternal causes. Sisters of the deceased aged 20-24 reported almost half of the deaths (46.7%) as due to maternal causes, while those aged 45-49 reported the highest number of deceased sisters who died from other causes (90.2%). The total fertility rate (TFR) was calculated as 3.807, the Lifetime Risk (LTR) of maternal death was 0.0196 or 1-in-51, and the MMR was 430 per 100,000 [95% CI: 360-510]. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that the maternal mortality rate for Lagos remains unacceptable and has not changed significantly over time in actual terms. There is need to develop and intensify community-based intervention strategies, programs for private hospitals, monitor MMR trends, identify and contextually address barriers at all levels of maternal care.

The unequal impact of the pandemic at subnational levels and educational attainment-related inequalities in COVID-19 mortality, Brazil, 2020-2021.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated COVID-19 mortality indicators in 2020-2021 to show the epidemic's impact at subnational levels and to analyze educational attainment-related inequalities in COVID-19 mortality in Brazil. STUDY DESIGN: This was an ecological study with secondary mortality information. METHODS: Crude and age-standardized COVID-19 mortality rates were calculated by gender, major regions, and states. The COVID-19 proportional mortality (percentage) was estimated by gender and age in each region. Measures of education-related inequalities in COVID-19 mortality were calculated per state, in each of which the COVID-19 maternal mortality rate (MMR) was estimated by the number of COVID-19 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (LBs). RESULTS: The analysis of mortality rates at subnational levels showed critical regional differences. The North region proved to be the most affected by the pandemic, followed by the Center-West, with age-standardized COVID-19 mortality rates above 2 per 1000 inhabitants. The peak of COVID-19 mortality occurred in mid-March/April 2021 in all regions. Great inequality by educational level was found, with the illiterate population being the most negatively impacted in all states. The proportional mortality showed that males and females aged 50-69 years were the most affected. The MMR reached critical values (>100/100,000 LB) in several states of the North, Northeast, Southeast, and Center-West regions. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights stark regional and educational disparities in COVID-19 mortality in Brazil. Exacerbated by the pandemic, these inequalities reveal potential areas for intervention to reduce disparities. The results also revealed high MMRs in certain states, underscoring pre-existing healthcare access challenges that worsened during the pandemic.

Reducing maternal mortality: a 10-year experience at Mpilo Central Hospital, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVES: Maternal mortality is one of the major Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the global health community. The aim of the SDG 3.1 is to reduce global maternal mortality ratio considerably by 2030. The objective of this study was to document the epidemiological trends in maternal mortality for Mpilo Central Hospital. METHODS: This was a 10 year retrospective study using readily available data from the maternity registers. The International Classification of Diseases-Maternal Mortality (ICD-MM) coding system for maternal deaths was used. RESULTS: The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) declined from 655 per 100,000 live births in 2011 to 203 per 100,000 live births by 2020. The commonest groups of maternal mortality during the period 2011-2020 were hypertensive disorders, obstetric haemorrhage, pregnancy-related infection, and pregnancies with abortive outcomes. There were 273 maternal deaths recorded in the period 2011-2015, and 168 maternal deaths in the period 2016-2020. There was also a decline in maternal deaths due to obstetric haemorrhage (53 vs. 34). Maternal deaths due to pregnancy-related infection also declined (46 vs. 22), as well as pregnancies with abortive outcomes (40 vs. 26). CONCLUSIONS: There was a 69% decline in the MMR over the 10 year period. The introduction of government interventions such as malarial control, the adoption of life-long Option B+ antiretroviral treatment for the pregnant women, the training courses of staff, and the introduction of strong clinical leadership and accountability were all associated with a significant decline in the causes of maternal deaths.

Maternal mortality in the Slovak Republic in the years 2007-2018.

OBJECTIVE: Analysis of maternal mortality in the Slovak Republic in the years 2007-2018. METHODS: The analysis of selected maternal mortality data in the years 2007-2018. RESULTS: In the years 2007-2018, 84 women died during pregnancy or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy - maternal mortality ratio was 12.57 per 100,000 live births. Direct maternal mortality ratio in this period was 4.64 (31 maternal deaths), indirect maternal mortality 6.74 (45 maternal deaths) and direct obstetrics death ratio was 11.38 per 100,000 live births. Pregnancy-associated but unrelated maternal death ratio was 1.19 (eight maternal deaths). The Slovak Gynecological and Obstetric Society revealed a 64% underestimation of maternal mortality data in comparison with routine statistical data. CONCLUSION: Maternal mortality ratio in the Slovak Republic was one of the highest in the European Union and was discordant with a good level of perinatal mortality. In the Slovak Republic, it is necessary to look for ways to reduce maternal mortality and improve data collection.

The global burden and trends of maternal sepsis and other maternal infections in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Maternal sepsis and other maternal infections (MSMI) have considerable impacts on women's and neonatal health, but data on the global burden and trends of MSMI are limited. Comprehensive knowledge of the burden and trend patterns of MSMI is important to allocate resources, facilitate the establishment of tailored prevention strategies and implement effective clinical treatment measures. METHODS: Based on data from the Global Burden of Disease database, we analysed the global burden of MSMI by the incidence, death, disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in the last 30 years. Then, the trends of MSMI were assessed by the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of MMR as well as the age-standardized rate (ASR) of incidence, death and DALY. Moreover, we determined the effect of sociodemographic index (SDI) on MSMI epidemiological parameters. RESULTS: Although incident cases almost stabilized from 1990 to 2015, the ASR of incidence, death, DALY and MMR steadily decreased globally from 1990 to 2019. The burden of MSMI was the highest in the low SDI region with the fastest downward trends. MSMI is still one of the most important causes of maternal death in the developed world. Substantial diversity of disease burden and trends occurred in different regions and individual countries, most of which had reduced burden and downward trends. The MMR and ASR were negatively correlated with corresponding SDI value in 2019 in 204 countries/territories and 21 regions. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight significant improvement in MSMI care in the past three decades, particularly in the low and low-middle SDI regions. However, the increased burden and upward trends of MSMI in a few countries and regions are raising concern, which poses a serious challenge to maternal health. More tailored prevention measures and additional resources for maternal health are urgently needed to resolve this problem.

Hospital bed supply and inequality as determinants of maternal mortality in China between 2004 and 2016.

BACKGROUND: Driven by the government's firm commitment to promoting maternal health, maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in China has achieved a remarkable reduction over the past 25 years. Paralleled with the decline of MMR has been the expansion of hospital bed supply as well as substantial reduction in hospital bed distribution inequalities, which were thought to be significant contributors to the reduction in MMR. However, evidences on the impact of hospital bed supply as well as how its distribution inequality has affected MMR remains scarce in China. Addressing this uncertainty is essential to understand whether efforts made on the expansion of healthcare resource supply as well as on improving its distribution inequality from a geographical perspective has the potential to produce measurable population health improvements. METHODS: Panel data of 31 provinces in China between 2004 and 2016 were extracted from the national statistical data, including China Statistical Yearbooks, China Health Statistical Yearbooks and other national publications. We firstly described the changes in hospital bed density as well as its distribution inequality from a geographical perspective. Then, a linear mixed model was employed to evaluate the impact of hospital bed supply as well as its distribution inequality on MMR at the provincial level. RESULTS: The MMR decreased substantially from 48.3 to 19.9 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2004 and 2016. The average hospital bed density increased from 2.28 per 1000 population in 2004 to 4.54 per 1000 population in 2016, with the average Gini coefficient reducing from 0.32 to 0.25. As indicated by the adjusted mixed-effects regressions, hospital bed density had a negative association with MMR (ß = - 0.112, 95% CI: - 0.210--0.013) while every 0.1-unit reduction of Gini coefficient suggested 14.50% decline in MMR on average (ß = 1.354, 95% CI: 0.123-2.584). Based on the mediation analysis, the association between hospital bed density or Gini coefficient with MMR was found to be significantly mediated by facility birth rate, especially during the period from 2004 to 2009. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided empirical evidences on China's impressive success in the aspect of reducing MMR which could be attributed to the expansion of hospital beds as well as the improvement in its distribution inequality from a geographical perspective. Such findings were expected to provide evidence-based implications for long-term policy-making procedures in order to achieve rational healthcare resource allocations as well as promoting the equity and accessibility to obtaining health care from a holistic perspective. Constant efforts should be made on improving the equity in healthcare resource allocations in order to achieve the penetration of universal healthcare coverage.

Maternal mortality ratio in Jiangsu Province, China: recent trends and associated factors.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, births to older mothers and multiparous mothers have increased rapidly with the change of birth policy in China. And mothers of advanced age are more likely to have maternal complications and poor birth outcomes. We aimed to estimate the recent trends and underlying risk factors of maternal mortality. METHODS: In this systematic assessment, we used data from the National Maternal and Child Health Routine Reporting System (2013-2018), Jiangsu Provincial Maternal Mortality Surveillance System (2017-2018), the Integrated National Mortality Surveillance System (2018), City Statistical Yearbooks (2018), City Health Statistical Yearbooks (2018). The factors associated with maternal mortality ratio (MMR) were explored using the stepwise regression analysis and cluster analysis. RESULTS: The MMR maintained at low levels between 2013 and 2016 and there was a slight increase in maternal mortality after 2016 in Jiangsu province. With the implementation of the China's universal two child policies, the percentage of multiparous mothers ascended from 34.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 34.1-34.3%) in 2013 to 51.4% (95% CI = 51.3-51.6%) in 2018 (beta = 3.88, P < 0.001). Consistently, the percentage of advanced maternal age (≥ 35) increased from 8.4% (95% CI = 8.4-8.5%) in 2013 to 10.4% (95% CI = 10.3-10.4%) in 2018 (beta = 0.50, P = 0.012). And we found that the percentage of multiparous mothers and advanced maternal age among maternal deaths were higher than all pregnant women (P < 0.001). In the stepwise regression analysis, four risk factors were significantly associated with maternal mortality ratio (primary industry of gross domestic product (GDP), rate of delivery in maternal and child health hospital, rate of cesarean section and rate of low birth weight). As the results derived from cluster analysis, the relatively developed regions had lower preventable maternal mortality ratio (43.5% (95% CI = 31.2-56.7%) vs. 62.6% (95% CI = 52.3-72.0%), P = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: Since the universal two child policy has been associated with changes in health related birth characteristics: women giving birth have been more likely to be multiparous, and more likely to be aged 35 and over. This somewhat magnifies the impact of differences in economic development and obstetric services on MMR. The findings based on prefecture level data suggest that interventions must target economic development, the health system and maternal risk factors in synergy. These approaches will be of great benefit to control or diminish environmental factors associated with preventable deaths and will effectively reduce MMR and narrow the gap among the different regions.

Trends, causes and solutions of maternal mortality in Jinan, China: the epidemiology of the MMR in 1991-2020.

BACKGROUND: China was one of the few countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals 5. China had taken many effective measures to reduce maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and has achieved encouraging progress. These measures were worth sharing for other countries to reduce the MMR, but the introduction of these measures from the national perspective was too grand, and the measures implemented in a city and the results achieved were more valuable. However, there were few studies on the prevalence and trends of prolonged maternal mortality in a city. In this study, we mainly introduced the prevalence of the MMR in Jinan,China from 1991 to 2020, analyzed the causes of trends and put forward some solutions to the difficulty existing in the process of reducing the MMR,hoping to serve as a model for some developing cities to reduce MMR. METHODS: We collected maternal mortality data from paper records, electronic files and network platforms. The time trend of MMR was tested by Cochran-Armitage Test (CAT). We divided the study period into three stages with 10 years as a stage and the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to test the difference in MMR of different periods. RESULTS: From 1991 to 2020, We counted 1,804,162 live births and 323 maternal deaths, and the MMR was 17.93 per 100,000 live births. The MMR declined from 44.06 per 100,000 live births in 1991 to 5.94 per 100,000 live births in 2020, with a total decline of 86.52% and an annual decline of 2.89%. The MMR declined by 88.54% in rural areas, with an average annual decline 2.95%, faster than that in urban areas (82.06, 2.73%). From 1991 to 2020, the top five causes of maternal deaths were obstetric haemorrhage (4.55 per 100,000 live births), amniotic fluid embolism (3.27 per 100,000 live births), pregnancy-induced hypertension (2.61 per 100,000 live births), heart disease (2.33 per 100,000 live births) and other medical complications (2.05 per 100,000 live births). Postpartum hemorrhage, amniotic fluid embolism, pregnancy-induced hypertension showed a downward trend (P < 0.05) and other medical complications showed an upward trend (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Subsidy for hospitalized delivery of rural women, free prenatal check-ups for pregnant women and rapid referral system between hospitals have contributed to reducing MMR in Jinan. However, it was still necessary to strengthen the treatment of obstetric hemorrhage by ensuring blood supply, reduce the MMR due to medical complications by improving the skills of obstetricians to deal with medical diseases, and reduce the MMR by strengthening the allocation of emergency equipment in county hospitals and the skills training of doctors.

Maternal mortality ratio in China from 1990 to 2019: trends, causes and correlations.

BACKGROUND: Maternal mortality ratio is an important indicator to evaluate the health status in developing countries. Previous studies on maternal mortality ratio in China were limited to certain areas or short periods of time, and there was a lack of research on correlations with public health funding. This study aimed to assess the trends in the maternal mortality ratio, the causes of maternal death, and the correlations between maternal mortality ratio and total health financing composition in China from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: Data in this longitudinal study were collected from the China Health Statistics Yearbooks (1991-2020) and China Statistical Yearbook 2020. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the trends in the maternal mortality ratio in China. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlations between national maternal mortality ratio and total health financing composition. RESULTS: The yearly trends of the national, rural and urban maternal mortality ratio were - 2.290 (p < 0.01), - 3.167 (p < 0.01), and - 0.901 (p < 0.01), respectively. The gap in maternal mortality ratio between urban and rural areas has narrowed. Obstetric hemorrhage was the leading cause of maternal death. The mortalities ratios for the main causes of maternal death all decreased in China from 1990 to 2019. The hospital delivery rate in China increased, with almost all pregnant women giving birth in hospitals in 2019. Government health expenditure as a proportion of total health expenditure was negatively correlated with the maternal mortality ratio (r = - 0.667, p < 0.01), and out-of-pocket health expenditure as a proportion of total health expenditure was positively correlated with the maternal mortality ratio (r = 0.516, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: China has made remarkable progress in improving maternal survival, especially in rural areas. The maternal mortality ratio in China showed a downward trend over time. To further reduce the maternal mortality ratio, China should take effective measures to prevent obstetric hemorrhage, increase the quality of obstetric care, improve the efficiency and fairness of the government health funding, reduce income inequality, and strengthen the medical security system.

Maternal mortality at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana: A five-year review.

Maternal death is a major global health issue with the highest impact in low-income countries. Despite some modest decline in the maternal mortality rates in Ghana since the 1990's, this has been below expectation. The aim of this study was to describe the trends and contributory factors to maternal mortality at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Accra, Ghana. We performed a retrospective chart review of all maternal deaths at KBTH from 2015 to 2019. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Over the period, there were 45,676 live births, 276 maternal deaths and a maternal mortality ratio of 604/100,000 live births (95% CI: 590/100,000 - 739/100,000). The leading causes of maternal death were hypertensive disorders (37.3%), hemorrhage (20.6%), Sickle cell disease (8.3%), sepsis (8.3%), and pulmonary embolism (8.0%). Significant factors associated with maternal mortalities at the KBTH were: women with no formal education [AOR 3.23 (CI: 1.73- 7.61)], women who had less than four antenatal visits [AOR 1.93(CI: 1.23-3.03)], and emergency cesarean section [AOR 3.87(CI: 2.51-5.98)]. Hypertensive disorders remain the commonest cause of the high maternal mortality at KBTH. Formal education and improvement in antenatal visits may help prevent these deaths.

Association between maternal mortality and caesarean section in Ethiopia: a national cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies concluded that there is a reduction of maternal deaths with improved access to caesarean section, while other studies showed the existence of a direct association between the two variables. In Ethiopia, literature about the association between maternal mortality and caesarean section is scarce. This study was aimed to assess the association between maternal mortality ratios and caesarean section rates in hospitals in Ethiopia. METHODS: Analysis was done of a national maternal health dataset of 293 hospitals that accessed from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute. Hospital specific characteristics, maternal mortality ratios and caesarean section rates were described. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine the direction of association between maternal mortality ratios and caesarean section rate, taking regions into consideration. Presence of a linear association between these variables was declared statistically significant at p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: The overall maternal mortality ratio in Ethiopian hospitals was 149 (95% CI: 136-162) per 100,000 livebirths. There was significant regional variation in maternal mortality ratios, ranging from 74 (95% CI: 51-104) per 100,000 livebirths in Tigray region to 548 (95% CI: 251-1,037) in Afar region. The average annual caesarean section rate in hospitals was 20.3% (95% CI: 20.2-20.5). The highest caesarean section rate of 38.5% (95% CI: 38.1-38.9) was observed in Addis Ababa, while the lowest rate of 5.7% (95% CI: 5.2-6.2) occurred in Somali region. At national level, a statistically non-significant inverse association was observed between maternal mortality ratios and caesarean section rates. Similarly, unlike in other regions, there were inverse associations between maternal mortality ratios and caesarean section rates in Addis Ababa, Afar Oromia and Somali, although associations were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: At national level, a statistically non-significant inverse association was observed between maternal mortality ratios and caesarean section rates in hospitals, although there were regional variations. Additional studies with a stronger design should be conducted to assess the association between population-based maternal mortality ratios and caesarean section rates.

Critically Ill Obstetric Patients and Fetomaternal Outcome.

Reduction in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) continues to be a worldwide challenge. With repeated analytical studies done over decades, it has become possible to identify the significant contributors to this challenge. Right from low socioeconomic status to the availability of recent technological advances, many factors need attention and prioritization. Obstetric hemorrhage remains an important cause followed by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and sepsis. In this issue of IJCCM, Miglani et al. have highlighted the various levels of the delays, which are significant contributors to the high MMR. In other preventive strategies, efforts will be needed to improve patient education, infrastructure, availability of trained manpower, blood storage facilities, timely referrals, transport facilities, etc., at peripheral levels. In the tertiary care centers, there is an increased need for trained manpower in critical care, the obstetric medical emergency team as a new concept, aggressive teamwork in intensive care unit (ICU) and operation theaters, the use of advanced technologies and newer drugs, etc. It will remain a tough challenge to reduce global MMR to 70 per 100,000 live births, as per plans by the United Nations, by the year 2030. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Bande BD. Critically Ill Obstetric Patients and Fetomaternal Outcome. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(11):1005-1007.

Induced Abortion and the Increased Risk of Maternal Mortality.

After years of failure to obtain accurate statistics on maternal mortality, the United States noted a sharp increase in its maternal mortality rate with widening racial and ethnic disparities. The 2016 report shocked the nation by documenting a 26 percent increase in maternal mortality from 18.8/100,000 live births in 2000 to 23.8 in 2014. Suggested etiologies of this increase included artifact as a result of improved maternal death surveillance, incorrect use of ICD-10 codes, healthcare disparities, lack of family support and other social barriers, substance abuse and violence, depression and suicide, inadequate preconception care, patient noncompliance, lack of standardized protocols for handling obstetric emergencies, failure to meet expected standards of care, aging of the pregnant patient cohort with associated increase in chronic diseases and cardiovascular complications, and lack of a comprehensive national plan. While some of the increase in maternal mortality may be a result of improved data collection, pregnancy-related deaths are occurring at a higher rate in the United States than in other developed countries. Some have suggested that the increased maternal mortality is due to limiting women's access to legal abortion. In order to discover effective strategies to improve pregnancy outcomes, maternal mortality must be investigated in an unbiased manner. This review explores the relationship between legal-induced abortion and maternal mortality. SUMMARY: In Finland, where epidemiologic record linkage has been validated, the risk of death from legal induced abortion is reported to be almost four times greater than the risk of death from childbirth. It is difficult to do this comparison in the United States not only because prior induced abortion history is often not recorded for a pregnancy-related death but also because less than one-quarter of the states require health care providers to report abortion deaths for investigation. These omissions are important because mortality risk in pregnancies subsequent to abortion is increased due to abortion-induced morbidities such as preterm birth and abnormal placentation. Legal induced abortion is a root cause of the racial and ethnic disparity noted in maternal mortality. In the United States, the death rate from legal induced abortion performed at 18 weeks gestation is more than double that observed for women experiencing vaginal delivery.

Confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in Ondo State, Nigeria - a comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Paucity of data on state-wide maternal mortality in Nigeria hampers planning, monitoring and evaluation of the impact of interventions. The Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths in Ondo State was initiated to overcome this problem. This study aimed to compare trends of maternal mortality ratios, causes of deaths, geographical distribution and other associated factors in 12-monthly reports of the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths in Ondo State. METHODS: Notification forms were distributed throughout the State to focal persons and medical records officers at community and facility levels, respectively. Maternal deaths, as defined in the International Classification of Diseases 10th version, were recorded prospectively over 3 years from 1st June 2012 to 30th May, 2015. Forms were submitted, collated and data analysed by a multidisciplinary review committee. RESULTS: Reported numbers of maternal deaths (and maternal mortality ratios) were 114 (253 per 100,000 births), 89 (192) and 81 (170), respectively per year, indicating a 33% reduction in maternal mortality ratio over the course of the study period. Assuming that the confidential enquiry process was the only intervention at the time aimed at reducing maternal mortality, simple linear regression with a correlation coefficient of 0.9314, showed a relationship though the difference in the values were not statistically significant (95% CI = - 184.55 to 101.55, p = 0.169). Postpartum haemorrhage and eclampsia were the leading causes of deaths. CONCLUSION: There was a trend of reduction in maternal mortality ratio during the period of study with postpartum haemorrhage as the major cause of death. The positive association between the confidential enquiry reports and maternal mortality ratios make us recommend that our model be adopted in other states and at the federal level.

The influence of basic public health service project on maternal health services: an interrupted time series study.

BACKGROUND: Reducing maternal mortality remains a global priority. In 2000, the United Nations Member States pledged to work towards a series of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in which the fifth target was to reduce maternal mortality ratio by 75% from 1990 to 2015. The Chinese government introduced Basic Public Health Service project in 2009 to the further improvement of maternal health services and reduction in maternal mortality. China had achieved the goal of MDG5 1 year ahead of the schedule in 2014, but the effects of the project on reducing maternal mortality were rarely evaluated with robust methods. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study on maternal mortality ratio by extracting mortality data from the National Maternal Mortality Surveillance System (1991-2016) and maternal health services measures from the China health statistic yearbook (2001-2016). We utilized the segmented linear regression model to assess changes and trends of maternal mortality ratio and maternal health services before and after the introduction of Basic Public Health Service project. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to measure the strength of association between the maternal mortality ratio and maternal health services. RESULTS: The yearly trend change of national maternal mortality ratio was - 1.76 (p < 0.01) after the introduction of Basic Public Health Service project in 2009, while the yearly trend change of maternal health record establish rate, prenatal examination rate, postpartum visit rate was 0.77 (p < 0.01), 0.61 (p < 0.01) and 0.83 (p < 0.01) separately. The negative correlations were also found between national maternal mortality ratio and prenatal examination rate (r = - 0.95, p < 0.01), maternal health record establish rate (r = - 0.93, p < 0.01) and postpartum visit rate (r = - 0.92, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The Basic Public Health Service project was found to be associated with the improvements in the maternal health services and reduction in maternal mortality. The design and implementation of the project may serve as a positive example for other developing countries. Continued monitoring and assessment of project effects should be stressed.

The effect of Kenya's free maternal health care policy on the utilization of health facility delivery services and maternal and neonatal mortality in public health facilities.

BACKGROUND: Kenya abolished delivery fees in all public health facilities through a presidential directive effective on June 1, 2013 with an aim of promoting health facility delivery service utilization and reducing pregnancy-related mortality in the country. This paper aims to provide a brief overview of this policy's effect on health facility delivery service utilization and maternal mortality ratio and neonatal mortality rate in Kenyan public health facilities. METHODS: A time series analysis was conducted on health facility delivery services utilization, maternal and neonatal mortality 2 years before and after the policy intervention in 77 health facilities across 14 counties in Kenya. RESULTS: A statistically significant increase in the number of facility-based deliveries was identified with no significant changes in the ratio of maternal mortality and the rate of neonatal mortality. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that cost is a deterrent to health facility delivery service utilization in Kenya and thus free delivery services are an important strategy to promote utilization of health facility delivery services; however, there is a need to simultaneously address other factors that contribute to pregnancy-related and neonatal deaths.

Advancing Survival in Nigeria: A Pre-post Evaluation of an Integrated Maternal and Neonatal Health Program.

Introduction Nigeria contributes more obstetric, postpartum and neonatal deaths and stillbirths globally than any other country. The Clinton Health Access Initiative in partnership with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health and the state Governments of Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna implemented an integrated Maternal and Neonatal Health program from July 2014. Up to 90% women deliver at home in Northern Nigeria, where maternal mortality ratio and neonatal mortality rates (MMR and NMR) are high and severe challenges to improving survival exist. Methods Community-based leaders ("key informants") reported monthly vital events. Pre-post comparisons of later (months 16-18) with conservative baseline (months 7-9) rates were used to assess change in MMR, NMR, perinatal mortality (PMR) and stillbirth. Two-tailed cross-tabulations and unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results Data on 147,455 births (144,641 livebirths and 4275 stillbirths) were analyzed. At endline (months 16-18), MMR declined 37% (OR 0.629, 95% CI 0.490-0.806, p ≤ 0.0003) vs. baseline 440/100,000 births (months 7-9). NMR declined 43% (OR 0.574, 95% CI 0.503-0.655, p < 0.0001 vs. baseline 15.2/1000 livebirths. Stillbirth rates declined 15% (OR 0.850, 95% CI 0.768-0.941, p = 0.0018) vs. baseline 21.1/1000 births. PMR declined 27% (OR 0.733, 95% CI 0.676-0.795, p < 0.0001) vs. baseline 36.0/1000 births. Adjusted results were similar. Discussion The findings are similar to the Cochrane Review effects of community-based interventions and indicate large survival improvements compared to much slower global and flat national trends. Key informant data have limitations, however, their limitations would have little effect on the results magnitude or significance.

Maternal mortality in the last triennium of the Millennium Development Goal Era at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of Nigeria remains high. This retrospective study aims to suggest evidence-based strategies towards achieving the sustainable development goal target 3.1 at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTHC), Nigeria by providing contemporary data on MMR between October 2012 and September 2015. There were 86 maternal deaths and 5243 live births over the triennium, with annual MMRs of 1744, 1622 and 1512/100,000 live births, respectively. Fifty-six (65.2%) were postpartum deaths, while 44 (51.2%) occurred within 12 hours of admission. Using the WHO ICD-10 system, the causes of mortality were pregnancy-related infections; 26 (30.2%), haemorrhage; 20 (23.3%), hypertension; 13 (15.2%) and pregnancies with abortive outcomes; 11 (12.7%). Financial constraints, misdiagnosis and delayed referrals constituted the predominant contributors. The MMR at OAUTHC, Nigeria in the last triennium of the MDG was 'Extremely High'. Improved aseptic techniques, blood transfusion services, antimicrobial sensitivity evaluation, Universal Health Coverage, training-retraining of skilled birth-attendants and effective referral systems are advocated. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on the subject of the paper: Nigeria now contributes the largest proportion (19%) of the burden of maternal mortality worldwide, despite constituting just 2% of the global population. Reversing this adverse trend during the sustainable development goal (SDG) period demands effective strategies, which can only be predicated on reliable data at the hospital, regional and national levels. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: This article provides the contemporary maternal mortality data of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, during the last triennium of the Millennium Development Goal era. The findings from the study revealed that the average maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of the Hospital over the three years was 1640/100,000 live births, and that pregnancy-related infection is now the leading cause of maternal death, followed by obstetric haemorrhage. What the implications are for clinical practice: Improvement in aseptic techniques, evaluation of antimicrobial sensitivity patterns and efficient blood transfusion services, as well as Universal Health Insurance coverage and Skilled Birth Attendants will improve the maternal health indices of the hospital, and ultimately the country during the SDG execution period.

Measuring maternal mortality: a systematic review of methods used to obtain estimates of the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in low- and middle-income countries.

Background: The new global target for maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is a ratio below 70 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030. We undertook a systematic review of methods used to measure MMR in low- and middle-income countries. Sources of data: Systematic review of the literature; 59 studies included. Areas of agreement: Civil registration (5 studies), census (5) and surveys (16), Reproductive Age Mortality Studies (RAMOS) (4) and the sisterhood methods (11) have been used to measure MMR in a variety of settings. Areas of controversy: Middle-income countries have used civil registration data for estimating MMR but it has been a challenge to obtain reliable data from low-income countries with many only using health facility data (18 studies). Growing points and areas for further research: Based on the strengths and feasibility of application, RAMOS may provide reliable and contemporaneous estimates of MMR while civil registration systems are being introduced. It will be important to build capacity for this and ensure implementation research to understand what works where and how.