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Measuring maternal mortality: an overview of opportunities and options for developing countries
W J Graham1, S Ahmed, C Stanton
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Aberdeen, UK. w.graham@abdn.ac.uk
BMC Medicine
|May 28, 2008
Summary
Accurate maternal mortality estimates are crucial for developing countries, especially with the Millennium Development Goals. New methods improve data capture, but investment is needed to refine measurement strategies and strengthen national capacity for credible maternal death tracking.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Demography
- Public Health
Background:
- High demand for maternal mortality data in developing nations, driven by Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targeting reductions by 2015.
- The Safe Motherhood Initiative (launched 1987) spurred development and application of new data collection methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a pragmatic overview of maternal mortality measurement methods.
- To discuss optimal measurement strategies for diverse developing country contexts.
Main Methods:
- Review of newly developed and tested data capture opportunities and methods since 1987.
- Assessment of pragmatic measurement strategies for varying country-specific needs and resources.
Main Results:
- Significant advancements in measuring maternal mortality exist, with potential for further refinement.
- Innovations offer cost-efficient primary data collection, though no method is without cost.
- Addressing biases and their impact on data utilization requires further attention.
Conclusions:
- Ownership of maternal mortality data is essential for effective action; "what you count is what you do."
- Measurement challenges should not impede efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
- Countries need encouragement and resources to accurately count maternal deaths and implement interventions.
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