THE World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 500 000 women in developing countries die every year from complications of pregnancy, abortion attempts, and childbirth.’ 100-300 maternal deaths per 100 000 births are common in the Third World, and rates are much higher in rural areas.2 In contrast developed countries have only 7-15 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births. Morbidity rates are...

Avoiding maternal deaths is possible, even in resource-poor countries, but requires the right kind of information on which to base programmes. Knowing the level of maternal mortality is not enough; we need to understand the underlying factors that led to the deaths. Each maternal death or case of life-threatening complication has a story to tell and can provide indications on practical ways of ...

According to the World Health Organization, about half a million women die each year due to pregnancy or childbirth [1]. Over half of these women are African (53% in 1995), while the rest are Asian (42%) and to a lesser extent Latin American (4%). Less than 1% of maternal deaths occur in Europe or North America (see table). In order to offset the variations linked to population size or birth ra...

Over the past decade, according to several important indicators, health conditions have improved in the Region of the Americas. However, inequalities persist among the countries of the Region. This article has two primary objectives: 1) to provide some unbiased evidence on health inequalities among countries of the Region of the Americas and 2) to illustrate the application of some of the more ...

BACKGROUND In Malawi, maternal mortality remains high. Existing maternal death reviews fail to adequately review most deaths, or capture those that occur outside the health system. We assessed the value of community involvement to improve capture and response to community maternal deaths. METHODS We designed and piloted a community-linked maternal death review (CLMDR) process in Mchinji Distr...

BACKGROUND The major causes of maternal and perinatal deaths are mostly pregnancy related. However, there are several predisposing factors for the increased risk of pregnancy related complications and deaths in developing countries. The objective of this review was to grossly estimate the effect of selected socioeconomic and cultural factors on maternal mortality, stillbirths and neonatal morta...

BACKGROUND High levels of maternal mortality and large associated inequalities exist in low-income and middle-income countries. Adolescent pregnancies remain common, and pregnant adolescent women face elevated risks of maternal mortality and poverty. We examined the distribution across socioeconomic groups of maternal deaths and impoverishment among adolescent girls (15-19 years old) in Niger, ...

AIM To explore the experiences of women with severe maternal morbidity and their perception of the quality of health care. BACKGROUND The exploration of factors associated with severe maternal morbidity has emerged as an alternative strategy in reducing maternal mortality. This approach is useful for the evaluation and improvement of maternal health services. DESIGN Included a comprehensive...