Sierra Leone MDSR Report: 2016

Background The national Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) system was established in Sierra Leone in 2015. The objective of the MDSR system is to count and review maternal deaths, in order to identify causes and contributing factors, and to inform interventions to prevent future deaths. This first national MDSR report highlights progress towards institutionalisation of MDSR; presents an overview of maternal deaths from January to December 2016; and includes recommendations for improving MDSR implementation and to address the main causes of maternal deaths. Key findings MDSR structures and systems National and District MDSR committees were established in each district, although only a few were trained. Every district, except one (Western Rural, where the MDSR [more]

Using data to prevent maternal deaths in crisis settings

“Triggers and chain of events leading to maternal deaths vary greatly according to contexts in humanitarian settings. We really need to dig up the issues. A systematic review of individual events is essential to take appropriate, life-saving corrective measures. You just need a few reports to understand what is happening, and you can do a lot to change the situation” – Nadine Cornier. Every maternal death has a story to tell and should be counted, so that appropriate responses can be developed to prevent similar deaths. But how do we do so effectively and in a timely manner in settings where health systems are disrupted and populations are displaced? In the seminar [more]

New MDSR reports galvanise action to improve quality of care in Malawi Northern Zone

As part of its efforts to improve accountability for women and children’s health, Malawi classified maternal death as a notifiable event in 2003, and the National Committee on Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths (NCCEMD) was established in 2009. Like many other countries, from 2013, Malawi moved from maternal death reviews (MDRs) to the more robust system of maternal death surveillance and response (MDSR), which entails not only that maternal deaths are notifiable, but also places greater emphasis on response, and on the monitoring and evaluation of MDSR itself. MDSR meetings create a forum for sharing best practices and discussing solutions to challenges in maternal and child health. In the northern zone [more]

Is scaling-up community maternal verbal autopsies a viable approach to inform action to reduce maternal mortality?

Key messages Community verbal autopsies are recommended in maternal death surveillance and response systems. Potentially they can inform action to prevent further deaths by improving our understanding of: The circumstances surrounding deaths occurring in the community; individual and community-level factors contributing to delays for those deaths occurring at facilities; and family perspectives of treatment received at facilities. However, undertaking verbal autopsies at scale may not always be feasible. Maternal deaths are rare events and, particularly in settings that are experiencing rapid increases in institutional delivery rates, are increasingly occurring in facilities. Community verbal autopsies entail a high training cost, with large numbers of community health workers each covering relatively small [more]