Most maternal and neonatal deaths can be averted through proven interventions including adequate nutrition, improved hygiene practices, antenatal care, skilled health workers. Global distribution of maternal causes of death a maternal death is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, regardless of the site or duration of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management. Estimates of maternal mortality ratio mmr, maternal deaths per 100 000 live births, number. These disorders have been reported as a leading cause of maternal mortality in subsaharan africa, including most. However, the maternal mortality rate mmr is still extremely high in some regions of the world, including in subsaharan africa which accounts for half of the maternal deaths and south asia where onethird of the maternal deaths occur. List indicators used to assess maternal mortality and morbidity. Factors associated with maternal mortality in malawi.
Encouragingly, minister of health, dr aaron motsoaledi, announced at the international conference on maternal, newborn and child care in africa johannesburg, 1 3 august 20 that free state province had reduced its maternal mortality rate by 43% by reducing the time it took for pregnant women to receive appropriate care at an appropriate. This short report summarises the findings on confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in south africa for 201120 and presents new data on the hiv and tb epidemic in pregnant women, maternal deaths associated with caesarean sections and maternal deaths in private hospitals. In 2017 maternal associated causes were the fourth leading cause of death in zambian women of childbearing age 2. Maternal death estimates in most of the highest mortality countries are above 500 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, with peaks reaching above 900 in chad and sierra leone figure 2. Mar 03, 2014 most are of reproductive age and most of them reside in subsaharan africa. To commemorate safer internet day, young influencers across the region took to social media to share tips on how to stay. Complications after unsafe abortion cause % of maternal deaths. Between 2006 to 2015, the rate of maternal mortality in nigeria increased by 30 percent. Factors contributing to maternal mortality in north. Maternal mortality disease and mortality in subsaharan. Timing and cause of perinatal mortality for smallfor.
Factors associated with maternal mortality in subsaharan. The maternal mortality rate is a causespecific mortality rate for women of reproductive age in the presence of other causes of death. Causes of neonatal mortality in the african region 20 fig. Maternal health unfpa united nations population fund. The zimbabwe maternal and perinatal mortality study zmpms of 2007 identified the leading direct causes of maternal mortality in zimbabwe as postpartum hemorrhage, pregnancy induced hypertension and puerperal sepsis. Although some countries have made remarkable progress, half of the maternal deaths in the world still take place in subsaharan africa where little or no progress has been made. Neonatal mortality rate in the who regions per live births 20. Findings from death notification preface this statistical release presents information on mortality and causes of death in south africa for deaths that occurred in 2016. Preeclampsia is the number one cause of maternal deaths in latin.
The who factsheet 2008 indicates that globally, about 80 percent of maternal deaths are due to four major causes severe bleeding, infections, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy eclampsia and obstructed labour. Underfive mortality rate in africa per 1,000 live births declined from 163 in 1990 to 100 in 2011. There is a need to critically examine the estimates to attest to the veracity of the problem in south africa. While several measures to combat the poor reproductive health performance have been put in place by the government, maternal and.
Maternal mortality has been described as one of the foremost and most neglected health problems and human rights abused in the world. According to the national institute of health nih, eclampsia convulsions in a pregnant woman resulting from high blood pressure which are often followed by a coma, is one of the top three causes of maternal mortality worldwide. See annex 1 for the list of individuals who participated in the june 12 20 meeting with to develop a research agenda for maternal health and hiv in subsaharan. Some countries have halved their maternal deaths in the space of a decade.
The major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality include haemorrhage, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour. Reducing direct causes of maternal death pattinson south. Preventable maternal mortality occurs where there is a failure to give effect to the rights of women to health, equality and nondiscrimination. May 19, 2016 most maternal mortality occurs in the developing world. Since 1990, maternal deaths worldwide have dropped by 47%. Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. To develop methods for trend analysis of vital statistics maternal mortality data, taking into account changes in pregnancy question formats over time and between states, and to provide. Oct 05, 2018 causes of maternal mortality in nigeria. Dec 14, 2009 maternal health is one of the major worldwide health challenges. These estimates come from the who or published data commissioned by the maternal mortality working group 1,2. In the last two decades, both maternal and neonatal mortality appear to have increased up to 2009, followed by a decrease, more pronounced in the care of maternal mortality. Almost all 99 per cent occurred in developing regions, with the highest level 546 per 100,000 live births in subsaharan africa, followed by. Investments in health contribute to economic development 7 fig.
Describe sources of existing information for identifying and investi gating maternal deaths. The group was established in 2006 to improve maternal mortality estimation methods, gener. We further validated the results from the 2007 community survey by comparing with vital registration data. Regional estimates show that haemorrhage and hypertension are. Maternal mortality has decreased significantly between 1990 and 2015 but not quickly enough to achieve the millennium development goal of a reduction of 75% in.
South africa s maternal mortality ratio has increased from 150100 000 in 1990 to 269100 000 live births in 2015 against the millennium development goals 5 mdg5 target of 38100 000, indicating slow progress in improving maternal health. Estimates of maternal mortality ratio mmr, maternal deaths per 100 000 live births, number of maternal deaths, and lifetime risk by united nations millennium development goal region, 2010 19 table 3. Currently, the unacceptably high levels of maternal mortality are a common subject in global health and development discussions. The indirect causes of maternal death consisted of anemia, malaria, hiv related complications, cancers, and cardiac disease. Maternal mortality declined by 38 per cent between 2000 and 2017 maternal mortality refers to deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth. About 25% of perinatal deaths in these settings are attributable to hdps 2. Third, the lifetime risk of maternal death is the risk a woman has of dying during her reproductive years, given current rates of fertility and the risk of maternal mortality. Such a high incidence of maternal mortality causes huge losses of human life and social welfare.
Findings from death notification preface this statistical release presents information on mortality and causes of death in south africa for deaths that occurred in 2015. The significance of the article maternal and child mortality remain a key indicator of the general capability of the health system to deliver preventive, promotive and curative health services in south african. Introduction maternal mortality, also known as maternal death, continues to be the major cause of death among women of reproductive age in many countries and remains a serious public health issue especially in developing countries who, 2007. Improving maternal health in africa africa renewal. To develop methods for trend analysis of vital statistics maternal mortality data, taking into account changes in pregnancy question formats over time and between states, and to. In subsaharan africa, a number of countries have halved their levels of maternal mortality since 1990. Though the maternal mortality ratio declined by 37 per cent between 2000 2015, there were an estimated 303,000 maternal deaths worldwide in 2015 due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth. Social factors determining maternal and neonatal mortality in. Estimating maternal mortality and causes in south africa. Besides child and adult mortality, maternal deaths are also high among many subsaharan african countries. The annual average growth rate of maternal mortality for this period was 1. List the steps to be taken to determine the magnitude of maternal morbiditymortality. Learn how we are supporting children across the region to reach their full potential. Maternal deaths due to nonobstetric causes predominate among women with hiv, and those with advanced disease and least time on antiretroviral therapy art face the highest risk.
Maternal mortality levels, trends and cause distribution used in this paper represent the most current available published data. The african regional health report regional office for africa. This study explored the timing and cause of stillbirth and early neonatal mortality end, africa. In 2006, we reported haemorrhage and hypertensive disorders as the leading causes of maternal mortality in developing regions. Estimates of maternal mortality for south africa have been bandied around, both in national and international publications. In 2010, 19 per cent of the 287,000 maternal deaths estimated worldwide took place in india who 2012. Causes and contributory factors of maternal mortality. The state of the worlds children 2009 focuses on maternal and neonatal health and identifies the interventions and actions that must be scaled up to save lives. This translates into an average annual rate of reduction of 2. Again in striking contrast, the maternal mortality ratio for most developed countries is less than 10. Maternal mortality ratio deaths100,000 live births is reportedly highest in africa, followed by asia, oceania, latin america and the caribbean, and the developed countries. Mortality and causes of death in south africa, 2015. High rates of maternal mortality persist, particularly in impoverished communities.
Jul 12, 2017 the three delays model proposes that maternal mortality is associated with delays in. Indirect causes, which include deaths due to conditions such as malaria, hivaids and cardiac diseases, account for about onefifth of maternal deaths. The primary causes of death are haemorrhage, hypertension, infections, and indirect causes, mostly due to interaction between preexisting medical conditions and pregnancy. Complications after unsafe abortion accounts for percent of maternal deaths. In other regions, including asia and north africa, even greater headway has been made. The who in year 2008 reported that worldwide, about 80 percent of maternal deaths are due to four major causes severe bleeding, infections, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy eclampsia and obstructed labour. In comparison, with 2014, the rate has not changed. With increased coverage of healthcare services, we sought to explore the relative contribution of each type of delay. Most are of reproductive age and most of them reside in subsaharan africa. Achievement of sexual and reproductive health is also a human rights issue. Trends in maternal mortality were estimated either directly from vital registration data or from a hierarchical or multilevel model, depending on the data available for a particular country.
Mortality and causes of death in south africa, 2016. In recent years, there has been increased recognition that reducing maternal mortality is not just an issue of development, but also an issue of human rights. Previous reports have shown that malaria contributes significantly to maternal mortality in zambia 10. Therefore, reducing mmr faster is a fundamental national and international.
An estimated 287 000 maternal deaths occured worldwide in 2010, most of which were in lowincome and middleincome countries and were avoidable. In south africa, there are conflicting reports on the estimates of maternal and neonatal mortality, derived from both direct and indirect estimation techniques. Compared with developed countries, africa cumulates many physical, economic, social, and psychological handicaps, especially in its rural areas. Of the hundreds of thousands of women who died during pregnancy or childbirth in 2017, approximately 86 per cent lived in subsaharan africa and southern asia. The social determinants of maternal and child mortality provide. Reducing maternal mortality and morbidity improving. Nyirenda 2012 indicates that the higher maternal mortality rate has been observed in the regions namely mtwara 50%, shinyanga 47%, simiyu 43%, and rukwa 41%. Jul 01, 2015 seattle to many people in developed countries, maternal mortality may seem like a thing from the past. The report provides neonatal and perinatal mortality estimates by country, regional groupings and globally. Maternal health infectious diseases overview briefer. New estimates show that the leading causes of maternal.
Gradual decline of maternal mortality, but globally and especially in subsaharan africa and to a lesser extent south asia welloff the mdg 5 pace large numbers of preventable maternal deaths occur every day progress in interventions is slow, especially in subsaharan africa. Racial and ethnic disparities continue in pregnancy. Levels and causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. However maternal mortality is a major cause of death among women. Global distribution, by region, of maternal deaths, world population and live births, 2000 19 fig. For countries that do not have data, models were developed to estimate mortality. Causes of maternal mortality in the african region 18 fig. Pdf risk factors for maternal mortality in nigeria. Estimates from both global metrics and institutional reporting, although widely divergent, indicate south africa has not achieved mdg 4a and 5a goals but made a significant. Maternal mortality is a public health issue and one of the millennium development goals.
Social factors determining maternal and neonatal mortality. Of the 808 daily maternal deaths, approximately 540 occurred in subsaharan africa and 225 in asia, compared to 4 in high income countries. Major causes of maternal mortality in zimbabwe various studies have outlined the causes of maternal mortality in zimbabwe. Influencers and youth raise awareness about cyberbullying. Reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in developing countries. However, between 1990 and 2010, the global maternal mortality ratio i. Cardiomyopathy weakened heart muscle is the leading cause of deaths 1 week to 1 year after delivery. The estimated lifetime risk of maternal mortality in some developing countries, where 1. Previously, the majority of women who died were reported to have experienced type 1 and 2 delays. Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Also, in several african countries, such as chad, mali and somalia, it is estimated that a quarter or more of the deaths among women of reproductive ages are from maternal causes. Working papermaternal health and hiv in subsaharan africa. In the week after delivery, severe bleeding, high blood pressure and infection are most common. Mpembeni 2012, report that the problem of the maternal mortality rate continues to affect the wellbeing of.
Causes of maternal deaths in northern nigeria research cyber. Define the main types and causes of maternal morbiditymortality. Trends in maternal and neonatal mortality in south africa. Maternal mortality is the probability or percentage of mothers. The three delays model proposes that maternal mortality is associated with delays in. Most causes of maternal deaths could be addressed 12 yazbeck, a. Uganda has a high maternal mortality ratio, typical of many countries in subsaharan africa, with an estimated 505 maternal deaths per 100. The overall rate of maternal mortality in nigeria was 22 in 2015. West and central africa is home to 534 million people half of them children. Determinantscauses of maternal mortality in nigeria.