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Deaths among women of reproductive age in Cape Verde: causes and avoidability
H Wessel1, P Reitmaier, A Dupret
1Division of International Health Care Research, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Subject:
In 1992-93 all deaths (n=97) of women 15 to 49 years old in three islands of Cape Verde were investigated to determine the cause of death, the maternal mortality ratio, the reliability of cause-of-death ascertainment, and the level of avoidability.
Method:
Data were obtained through interviews with the deceased person's family members and other knowledgeable persons (verbal autopsy) and through hospital files.
Results:
The overall mortality rate was 163 per 100,000 women 1549 years old, and the maternal mortality ratio was 127 per 100,000 live births. A plausible diagnosis could be determined in 77%. The most frequent causes of death were circulatory disorders, external causes, maternal causes, infectious diseases. and neoplasms.
Conclusions:
It was estimated that three of four of the deaths were avoidable with locally available resources. Since access to health care in the study area is not a major hindrance, a further decrease of female mortality depends mainly on improved quality of care in health facilities.