Issues in measuring maternal morbidity: lessons from the Philippines Safe Motherhood Survey Project

This report explores the limitations of survey research for obtaining population-based data to define the magnitude of maternal morbidity in settings that lack a well-developed infrastructure to support women's health requirements. The experience gained in the Philippines Safe Motherhood Survey Project is described. The drawbacks and benefits of the preliminary validation and qualitative phase of research conducted to develop the questionnaire are presented. The survey results indicate that interview-based diagnosis, although it implies the commitment of considerable resources, may be the only way to obtain an idea of the prevalence of some kinds of maternal morbidity in a given population, information necessary to the improvement of obstetric care and women's overall health status.