Document(s) 15 of 21

Between January 1990 and January 1993, 68 maternal deaths occured in our hospital; during the same period there were 33,274 deliveries. The resulting maternal mortality rate (MMR) is 204/100,000 deliveries. Most deaths (85.3%) were the direct result of complications during pregnancy and delivery.

This is a catastrophic figure when compared to maternal mortality rates in industrialized countries, where the figure does not exceed 10/100,000 deliveries. Our figure is also very high when compared with other Third World countries, such as Malaysia, where the rate is 73/100,000, and Brazil, where it is 45/100,000.

Effective prevention of maternal mortality and morbidity will require improving all aspects of women's health and health care, and incorporating a life cycle approach. In addition, the following recommendations could reduce maternal mortality:

• Improve the status of women by increasing the enrolment of girls in schools; through education, women could be made more aware of health issues;

• Increase effective family planning, as an estimated 25–40% of maternal deaths could be prevented if women could avoid unwanted pregnancies;

• Redistribute trained personnel throughout the country; and

• Improve antenatal programs through the increase of antenatal centres, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Document(s) 15 of 21