Journal Article
|ResearchSevere acute maternal morbidity and associated deaths in conflict and post-conflict settings in Africa
Abstract
SETTING
Five hospitals in four conflict and post-conflict countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Somaliland, Sierra Leone and Burundi).
OBJECTIVES
To report among hospital deliveries: 1) the proportion of severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM), 2) the pattern of SAMM, and 3) maternal deaths according to type of SAMM.
METHODS
An audit of data from a standardised database implemented in all the sites in the study.
RESULTS
Of the 18 675 deliveries, there were 6314 (34%) known SAMM cases with 63 associated deaths, implying that for every 100 SAMM cases there was one maternal death. In descending order, the death-to-SAMM ratios per 1000 deliveries were: 1:7 for sepsis, 6 for haemorrhage 1:70 for hypertensive disorder and 1:398 for obstructed labour. A substantial proportion of deaths (38%) that occurred in hospitals could not be categorised into the standardised SAMM conditions available in the database.
CONCLUSION
As this is the first study using multi-centre data from conflict and post-conflict countries, these findings are relevant to improving maternal health in such settings. Findings, implications and possible ways forward in addressing various challenges are discussed.
Five hospitals in four conflict and post-conflict countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Somaliland, Sierra Leone and Burundi).
OBJECTIVES
To report among hospital deliveries: 1) the proportion of severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM), 2) the pattern of SAMM, and 3) maternal deaths according to type of SAMM.
METHODS
An audit of data from a standardised database implemented in all the sites in the study.
RESULTS
Of the 18 675 deliveries, there were 6314 (34%) known SAMM cases with 63 associated deaths, implying that for every 100 SAMM cases there was one maternal death. In descending order, the death-to-SAMM ratios per 1000 deliveries were: 1:7 for sepsis, 6 for haemorrhage 1:70 for hypertensive disorder and 1:398 for obstructed labour. A substantial proportion of deaths (38%) that occurred in hospitals could not be categorised into the standardised SAMM conditions available in the database.
CONCLUSION
As this is the first study using multi-centre data from conflict and post-conflict countries, these findings are relevant to improving maternal health in such settings. Findings, implications and possible ways forward in addressing various challenges are discussed.
Countries
Subject Area
Languages
English
