Abstract : Because the incidence of maternal mortality in Africa is estimated at more than 600 deaths/100,000 births, a case-control study was undertaken to determine the factors associated with maternal mortality in Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, and Zambia. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the association of maternal mortality with demographic and socioeconomic factors as well as with health service and environmental factors. The 288 cases were women who died as a result of complications of pregnancy and childbirth. The 864 controls were women who were admitted to the same institutions because of pregnancy and childbirth who did not die. Information was also gathered on 859 control proxies. Out of the 288 deaths, 81 (30%) were due to abortion. The 3-year study took place from 1990 to 1992. Data were collected from interviews with close relatives of the cases and from interviews with the controls. Single women aged 25-29 years with parity of 1-2 were at a higher risk than other women of maternal death due to abortion complications. Most of the abortion patients who died induced the abortion themselves or used traditional medicines. To alleviate some of the problems associated with unsafe abortion, it was recommended that appropriate abortion services be provided, that information be disseminated about the risks of abortion, that indications for legal abortion be more broadly interpreted and that legal constraints be removed, that family planning programs be strengthened, that girls be encouraged to remain in school, and that further research be conducted.
Source : Source Popline : http://db.jhuccp.org/popinform/basic.html - PIP 104012.