Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance: Why is it Important?

Introduction: What is Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance?

Maternal and perinatal death surveillance is a system that aims to track the causes of these deaths and identify risk factors. This system is used in order to reduce maternal and perinatal death rates.

A maternal death is defined as a woman who dies while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes. A perinatal death is defined as a fetal or neonatal death (death within 28 days) from any cause related to, aggravated by, or occurring in the course of the pregnancy and its management but not from accidental causes.(1)

The first step in this process is identifying what maternal and perinatal deaths are. The second step is recording these deaths. The third step involves analyzing the data collected to find out what caused these deaths so that they can be prevented in the future.(2)

How Maternal and Perinatal Deaths are Reported

In the Ethiopia, maternal and perinatal deaths are not uniformly reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not include maternal deaths in the national vital statistics system. , and the WHO does not have a standard definition for perinatal mortality. In Ethiopia, maternal mortality is an issue that has not been addressed. The country estimates only around 200 maternal deaths per year, but the actual number could be in the thousands. In 2014, there were approximately 1,800 maternal deaths and over 150,000 women died during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy According to Ministry of Health (Ethiopia), the maternal mortality ratio was estimated to be Unsafe

This is because they do not have a standard way of defining a maternal death.

Maternal mortality is defined by WHO as pregnancy-related death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, excluding accidental or incidental causes. Maternal mortality includes deaths during labor, childbirth, and up to 42 days after delivery or termination of pregnancy.

What are the Goals of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance?

The goals of maternal and perinatal death surveillance are to provide a better understanding of the causes of maternal and perinatal mortality.

The main purpose for conducting surveillance is to understand the current trends in order to identify risk factors and work towards reducing mortality rates.

Maternal and perinatal death surveillance is a vital tool for identifying the causes of maternal and perinatal mortality, as well as improving the quality of care for pregnant women.

Deaths in pregnancy, childbirth, or within six weeks after delivery are considered maternal deaths, while deaths occurring between six weeks and one year after delivery are considered perinatal deaths. Maternal death includes not only pregnancy-related deaths during labor or at delivery but also those that occur up to six weeks postpartum.

Conclusion: The Importance of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance in the Ethiopia

Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance is the most important tool in the prevention of maternal deaths and stillbirths. The Ethiopian government should take this seriously and invest more time, effort, and resources to improve Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance in order to save lives. Ethiopia should make consistent improvements to the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance system in order to save lives. The government should invest more time, effort, and resources into this area and clean up the system's flaws.