Background

• Deaths of women during pregnancy, childbirth or termination of pregnancy, and deaths up to 6 weeks (42 days) after childbirth or termination of pregnancy related to pregnancy are considered Maternal Deaths. (NB. Those due to accidental or incidental causes are not considered as maternal deaths)
• Globally, about 80% of maternal deaths are due to; severe bleeding (mostly bleeding postpartum), infections (also mostly soon after delivery), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (eclampsia) and obstructed labour. Complications after unsafe abortion cause 13% of maternal deaths.
• Across the developing world, maternal mortality levels remain too high, with more than 500,000 women dying every year as a result of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. About half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa where a woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death is 1 in 22, compared with 1 in 8,000 in industrialized countries.
• Haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death in sub-Saharan Africa, and unattended births are a particular risk, especially in rural areas where transport to health care facilities is a problem.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) reporting in 2030 demands active surveillance, and counting of maternal deaths. The report is no longer proportionate as was in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (reduce by 75%), Rather countries will report pegged on an actual number - in that no country should have a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) >70 deaths/ 100 000 live births
• Review of progress towards MDG 5 indicates that most African countries were not able to meet MDG by 2015. Intensified actions and increased investments are required to improve the coverage and quality of maternal health care services and addressing issues and factors contributing to these deaths are key if we are to achieve SDG