Maternal Mortality Decline in the Kassena-Nankana District of Northern Ghana

Objective In the absence of an adequate vital registration system in Ghana, the Navrongo demographic surveillance system (NDSS) established in 1993 presents a viable alternative to monitor, in a poor rural district, the UN Millennium Development Goal on maternal health (MDG) of reducing maternal mortality by 75% between 1990 and 2015. Methods Of the 518 women aged 12–49 years identified in the NDSS database to have died in the Kassena-Nankana district in the period January 2002–December 2004, spouses or family members completed verbal autopsy interviews for 516 female deaths. Results Of the 516 female deaths, 45 were identified as maternal deaths. 71% of the maternal deaths were attributed to direct maternal causes while 29% were due to indirect maternal causes. Abortion-related deaths were the most frequent cause of maternal deaths. The maternal mortality ratio for the period 2002–2004 was 373 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births indicating a 40% reduction of maternal mortality from the 1995–1996 level of 637 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. However, the health-facility based maternal mortality ratio in the district (which excludes maternal deaths outside health facilities) was 141 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births for the period 2002–2004. Conclusion This district may be on track to achieve the MDG on maternal health. Ultimately, strengthening vital registration systems to provide timely information to policymakers should supersede the other methods of measuring maternal mortality.     

Estimates of the maternal mortality ratio in two districts of the Brong-Ahafo region, Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by the sisterhood method in two districts of the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana, and to determine the impact of different assumptions and analytical decisions on these estimates. METHODS: Indirect estimates of the MMR were calculated from data collected in 1995 by Family Health International (FHI) on 5202 women aged 15-49 years, using a household screen of randomly selected areas in the two districts. Other data from the nationally representative 1994 Ghana Infant, Child and Maternal Mortality Survey (ICMMS) and from the 1997 Kassena-Nankana District study were also used for comparison. FINDINGS: Based on the FHI data, the MMR was estimated to be 269 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births for both districts combined, a figure higher than ICMMS estimates. Biases during data collection may account for this difference, including the fact that biases underestimating mortality are more common than those overestimating it. Biases introduced during data analysis were also considered, but only the total fertility rate used to calculate the MMR seemed to affect the estimates significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the sisterhood method is still being refined and the extent and impact of biases have only recently received attention. Users of this method should be aware of limitations when interpreting results. We recommend using confidence limits around estimates, both to dispel false impressions of precision and to reduce overinterpretation of data.     

Mortality in a seven-and-a-half-year follow-up of a trial of insecticide-treated mosquito nets in Ghana

A 17% efficacy in preventing all-cause mortality in children aged 6-59 months was previously reported from a cluster-randomized controlled trial of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) carried out in the Kassena-Nankana District of northern Ghana from July 1993-June 1995. A follow-up until the end of 2000 found no indication in any age group of increased mortality in the ITN group after the end of the randomized intervention. These results should further encourage the use of ITNs as a malaria control tool in areas of high endemicity of Plasmodium falciparum.     

The changing nature of adolescence in the Kassena-Nankana District of northern Ghana

This study reports the results of a primarily qualitative investigation of adolescent reproductive behavior in the Kassena-Nankana District, an isolated rural area in northern Ghana, where traditional patterns of marriage, family formation, and social organization persist. The study is based on in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions with adolescents, parents, chiefs, traditional leaders, youth leaders, and health workers, supplemented by quantitative data from the 1996 wave of a panel survey of women of reproductive age conducted by the Navrongo Health Research Centre. The social environment that adolescent boys and girls in the Kassena-Nankana District encounter and its links to reproductive behavior are described. The principal question is whether even in this remote rural area, the social environment has been altered in ways that have undermined traditional sexual and reproductive patterns. The survey data indicate a considerable increase in girls' education and the beginning of a decline in the incidence of early marriage. The qualitative data suggest that social institutions, systems, and practices such as female circumcision that previously structured the lives of adolescent boys and girls have eroded, leading to an apparent increase in premarital sexual activity.     

深圳市宝安区2000～2009年孕产妇死亡特征分析

目的分析深圳市宝安区2000~2009年孕产妇死亡的控制效果及特征,为进一步降低孕产妇死亡率提供决策依据。方法对深圳市宝安区2000~2009年的148例死亡孕产妇监测资料进行回顾性调查,应用SPSS 13.0软件进行统计,分析孕产妇死亡率及相关特征的变化。结果 2000~2009年宝安区共有148例孕产妇死亡,其中流动人口133例(占89.86%)。孕产妇死亡率从2000年的133.26/10万下降到2009年的29.16/10万,10年平均死亡率为42.22/10万(其中,流动人口49.57/10万);10年间全人口及流动人口死亡率的变化差异均有统计学意义(χ2=49.22,P<0.01;χ2=69.20,P<0.01)。与前5年相比,后5年孕产妇死因中妊娠期高血压性疾病(7.23%vs 12.31%)、妊娠合并外科性疾病(1.20%vs 7.69%)、肿瘤性疾病(0.00%vs4.61%)、产褥感染(1.20%vs 4.61%)有明显上升趋势;而产科出血(33.74%vs 27.69%)、羊水栓塞(26.51%vs 23.08%)、妊娠合并内科疾病(20.48%vs 9.23%)有所下降。结论宝安区孕产...     

Chasing spirits: Clarifying the spirit child phenomenon and infanticide in Northern Ghana

In the Kassena-Nankana District of Ghana, researchers and health interventionists describe a phenomenon wherein some children are subject to infanticide because they are regarded as spirit children sent “from the bush” to cause misfortune and destroy the family. This phenomenon remains largely misunderstood and misrepresented. Based upon both ethnographic research and verbal autopsy data from 2006 to 2007 and 2009, this paper clarifies the characteristics of and circumstances surrounding the spirit child phenomenon, the role it plays within community understandings of childhood illness and mortality, and the variations present within the discourse and practice. The spirit child is a complex explanatory model closely connected to the Nankani sociocultural world and understandings surrounding causes of illness, disability, and misfortune, and is best understood within the context of the larger economic, social, and health concerns within the region. The identification of a child as a spirit child does not necessarily indicate that the child was a victim of infanticide. The spirit child best describes why a child died, rather than how the death occurred. In addition to shaping maternal and child health interventions, these findings have implications for verbal autopsy assessments and the accuracy of demographic data concerning the causes of child mortality.     

河北省国家疾病监测点恶性肿瘤死亡率分析

目的了解河北省国家疾病监测点恶性肿瘤死亡流行病学特征,为制定恶性肿瘤防治策略提供依据。方法死因编码执行《国际疾病分类第十版（ICD-10）》标准,全省8个国家疾病监测点人口资料和死亡个案资料全部使用DeathReg软件进行数据录入、审核、汇总和统计分析。结果2006年河北省国家疾病监测点恶性肿瘤粗死亡率76.14/10万,标化死亡率50.83/10万,居全死因顺位第二位,恶性肿瘤死因顺位前4位是肺癌、食管癌、胃癌、肝癌,男性、女性均以肺癌死亡率最高;城市肺癌死亡率最高,农村为食管癌。恶性肿瘤主要发生于35岁以上人群,并随年龄增长死亡率上升。结论肺癌、食管癌、胃癌、肝癌是危害河北省国家疾病监测点居民健康的主要恶性肿瘤,应继续加强恶性肿瘤防治工作。     

广州市花都区2000~2019年孕产妇死亡影响因素变化趋势分析

目的分析广州市花都区2000~2019年孕产妇死亡的社会人口学特征和医疗保健服务情况,总结孕产妇死亡影响因素的变化趋势,为降低孕产妇死亡率提出干预措施。方法回顾性分析广州市花都区2000~2019年度孕产妇死亡报告表、核实调查报告、病历摘要及死亡评审资料。结果 (1)在研究的20年共发生孕产妇死亡83例,前10年广州市户籍和全人口的平均孕产妇死亡率分别为23.41/10万活产、54.42/10万活产;后10年分别为10.56/10万活产、15.00/10万活产。孕产妇死亡率呈"先快速后平稳"的下降趋势,流动人口年均降幅大于户籍人口。(2)前后10年社会人口学特征、孕产期保健状况、死因分类有明显变化。前10年主要死因为羊水栓塞、产后出血和心血管疾病,影响孕产妇死亡的第一位环节是个人家庭居民团体;后10年主要死因为心血管疾病、产后出血和恶性肿瘤,影响孕产妇死亡的第一位环节为医疗保健系统。前后20年的第一位影响方面均是知识技能。结论孕产妇死亡受医学和社会诸多因素影响。要进一步降低孕产妇死亡率,对医疗保健系统提出更高的要求,需要提高对妊娠合并基础疾病的识别、监测和多学科救治能力。     

北京市西城区2006-2010年户籍孕产妇死亡状况分析

目的了解孕产妇死亡率、死亡原因,制定相应干预措施,进一步降低孕产妇死亡率。方法采用回顾性研究方法,对北京市西城区2006-2010年户籍孕产妇死亡资料进行分析。结果 5年内西城区户籍孕产妇死亡率平均为16.15/10万,死亡原因以间接产科原因为主,西城区户籍孕产妇死亡主要与医疗保健因素尤其医疗保健人员的知识技能、管理有关。结论加强人户分离孕产妇的保健管理,提高产科技术人员的水平,提高妊娠合并症的综合救治能力是降低孕产妇死亡率的关键环节。     

Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality in Tribal and Rural Communities in Central India

Background and Objectives:

Little is known about the natural history of neonates born in the rural and tribal areas in India. The Neonatal Disease Surveillance Study (NDSS) measures the incidence of high-priority neonatal diseases, neonatal health events and associated risk factors to plan appropriate and effective actions.

Materials and Methods:

The NDSS is being conducted in Ramtek Revenue Block, Nagpur district, Maharashtra state, given its considerably high level of neonatal mortality. All households from five selected primary health centers were screened. Both active and passive surveillance systems were used for systematic collection of mother''s health during pregnancy and of baby''s health from birth to 4 months after birth. First-year results from November 2006 to October 2007 are presented.

Results:

Pregnancy outcomes were available for 1,136 women, with an overall neonatal mortality of 73 per 1,000 live births. The pregnancy outcomes varied by gestational age of the baby; miscarriages and abortions were higher in tribal than in non-tribal women, and tribal women had higher rates of low-birth weight (LBW) neonates than non-tribal women. The main cause of neonatal mortality was LBW, followed by sepsis and respiratory illness. The mortality of non-tribal babies was most strongly associated with pre term. For tribal babies, mortality was also associated with maternal morbidity and delay in the initiation of breastfeeding.

Interpretation and Conclusions:

The NDSS provides valuable information on the potentially modifiable factors associated with increased likelihood of neonatal mortality and morbidity. The Neonatal Health Research Initiative is now developing community-based interventions to reduce the high rate of neonatal mortality and morbidity in the rural areas of India.     

北京市东城区十年孕产妇死亡监测分析

目的:调查北京市东城区辖区医院1997～2006年孕产妇死亡情况,探讨孕产妇死亡的主要原因及变化趋势,寻求降低孕产妇死亡的有效途径。方法:对10年间辖区医院产科死亡的27例孕产妇监测资料进行回顾性分析,对前5年和后5年的孕产妇死亡率和死因进行比较。结果:辖区医院产科10年总活产数104858人次,孕产妇死亡27例,死亡率为25.75/10万;前5年孕产妇死亡率为45.02/10万,后5年孕产妇死亡率为13.87/10万;主要死因构成为妊娠期高血压疾病、妊娠期肝病、产科出血、羊水栓塞、心脏病、脑出血、宫外孕,妊娠期高血压疾病和妊娠期肝病分别为第一、二位死因,死亡孕产妇的直接产科原因占59.26%;死亡孕产妇中围产期未进行系统保健的占55.56%,外地流动人口占62.96%。结论:东城区辖区医院10年来孕产妇死亡率呈下降趋势,死因顺位亦发生变化,妊娠期肝病已超过妊娠期高血压疾病成为第一位死因;外地流动人口围产期不进行系统保健已对围产保健质量构成威胁,孕产妇系统管理如何有效覆盖流动人口已经成为该区所面临的主要问题;提高医疗机构处理妊娠合并症的急救抢救能力,也是今后围产工作的重点。     

Maternal mortality in a rural district of southeastern Tanzania: an application of the sisterhood method

BACKGROUND: Deaths from maternal causes represent the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in most developing countries. It is estimated that the highest risk occurs in Africa, with 20% of world births but 40% of the world maternal deaths. The level of maternal mortality is difficult to assess especially in countries without an adequate vital registration system. Indirect techniques are an attractive cost-effective tool to provide estimates of orders of magnitude for maternal mortality. METHOD: The level of maternal mortality estimated by the sisterhood method is presented for a rural district in the Morogoro Region of Southeastern Tanzania and the main causes of maternal death are studied. Information from region-specific data using the sisterhood method is compared to data from other sources. RESULTS: The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) was 448 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (95%CI : 363-534 deaths per 100,000 live births). Maternal causes accounted for 19% of total mortality in this age group. One in 39 women who survive until reproductive age will die before age 50 due to maternal causes. The main cause of death provided by hospital data was puerperal sepsis (35%) and postpartum haemorrhage (17%); this is compatible with the main causes reported for maternal death in settings with high levels of maternal mortality, and similar to data for other regions in Tanzania. The sisterhood method provides data comparable with others, together with a cost-effective and reliable estimate for the determination of the magnitude of maternal mortality in the rural Kilombero District.     

深圳市福田区孕产妇死亡监测与干预措施评价

目的了解深圳市福田区孕产妇死亡的变化趋势,评价死亡评审的质量和干预措施的有效性,为寻找更有效降低孕产妇死亡率的干预措施提供依据。方法对2000至2011年的孕产妇死亡个案和死亡评审资料、孕产妇系统管理工作年报表进行回顾性分析。结果孕产妇死亡率从2000年的67．24／10万下降到2011年的13．18／10万,12年平均死亡率26．98／10万（61／226076）。常住人口孕产妇死亡率明显低于流动人口（X^2=37．443,P=0．000）。对孕产妇死亡率前后6年分组比较,后6年明显低于前6年（X^2=6．344,P=0．012）,其中流动人口孕产妇死亡率后6年较前6年下降明显（X^2=6．149,P=0．013）。61例孕产妇死亡评审结论,可避免死亡5．56％,创造条件可避免死亡55．74％,不可避免死亡37．70％;直接产科原因导致孕产妇死亡占50．82％,间接产科原因导致孕产妇死亡占49．18％。结论完善孕产妇分级管理制度、建立危急重症孕产妇急救绿色通道、开展孕产妇死亡评审、实施“降消”项目和免费产前检查产后访视项目、加强业务培训和健康教育等各项综合措施的落实,使福田区孕产妇死亡率不断下降,特别是流动人口孕产妇死亡率下降明显,证明措施可行有效,但需不断探索新的干预措施。     

Socio-cultural factors as correlates of maternal mortality in Edo South Senatorial District,Nigeria

ObjectiveTo investigate the socio-cultural factors that contribute to Maternal Mortality in Edo South Senatorial District.MethodsThe population of the study was made up of 2 157 females of reproductive age and multi-stage random sampling technique was used. The instrument for data collection was a self developed structured and validated questionnaire with a reliability of 0.82. Focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interview guide were employed to complement the instrument. Inferential statistics of multiple regressions were also employed to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.ResultsThe results showed that the socio-cultural variables when taken together contributed positively to maternal mortality [R² = 0.32; CV = 16.5; df = 7). The finding further revealed that six, out of seven of the independent variables in the study significantly contributed to maternal mortality in Edo South Senatorial District. The implications of these findings in maternal and child health care were highlighted.ConclusionsThe study had shown that in addition to medical causes of maternal mortality, there are socio-cultural factors that contribute to women dying during pregnancy, labour and pueperium.     

2000-2013年度广州市花都区孕产妇死亡原因分析

目的 分析广州市花都区孕产妇死亡原因,了解孕产妇管理系统及救治过程中存在的问题,为制订降低孕产妇死亡率的干预措施提供科学依据.方法 回顾性分析广州市花都区2000-2013年度孕产妇死亡病例资料及评审结果.结果 在研究的14年中,广州市花都区活产数逐年增加,平均年增长率为10.58%.孕产妇死亡率在广州花都区户籍人口平均为21.73/105,在全人口平均为38.45/105,近14年孕产妇死亡共计65例,其死亡率逐年下降,尤其在流动人口中孕产妇死亡率降低明显.导致孕产妇死亡原因中,直接产科死因为64.62%,间接产科死因为30.77%,死因不明为4.62%.其中,居于前5位的孕产妇死因分别为羊水栓塞、产后出血、妊娠合并心脏病、妊娠期高血压疾病和异位妊娠.结论 孕产妇死亡原因呈多元化趋势,死因构成比的变化为探索新的产科服务模式提出新的挑战.专业技能培训和孕产期系统保健是母婴安康的保障.     

河北省2008年国家疾病监测点恶性肿瘤死亡率分析

[目的]了解河北省国家疾病监测点恶性肿瘤死亡流行病学特征,为防治工作提供依据。[方法]死因编码执行《国际疾病分类第十版(ICD-10)》标准,全省8个国家疾病监测点人口资料和死亡个案资料全部使用全国死因登记网络报告系统进行数据录入、审核、汇总和统计分析。[结果]2008年河北省国家疾病监测点恶性肿瘤粗死亡率114.81/10万,居全死因第2位,恶性肿瘤死因顺位前5位是肺癌、胃癌、食管癌、肝癌、结直肠和肛门癌,男性、女性均以肺癌死亡率最高,城市肺癌死亡率最高,农村为食管癌。恶性肿瘤主要发生于35岁以上人群并随年龄增长死亡率上升。[结论]肺癌、食管癌、胃癌、肝癌是危害河北省国家疾病监测点居民健康的主要恶性肿瘤,应继续加强恶性肿瘤防治工作。     

Light on maternal mortality in India

In order to investigate the degree and causes of maternal mortality in Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India, detailed enquiries were made at the grass roots and the records of health facilities were examined. The number of maternal deaths proved to be much higher than would have been revealed by a perusal of official data alone. Many women in a serious condition died on the way to hospital or soon after arrival because the means of transport were too slow or otherwise unsuitable. Maternal mortality rates varied substantially from place to place, reflecting differing levels of economic development and the presence or absence of primary health centres and subcentres.     

北京市朝阳区2001～2006年孕产妇死亡情况调查分析

目的:探讨影响朝阳区孕产妇死亡因素,为制订提高孕产妇保健管理质量、降低孕产妇死亡率的相关政策与措施提供依据。方法:对朝阳区2001～2006年孕产妇管理和孕产妇死亡进行死因及相关因素分析。结果:6年内户籍孕产妇死亡率为16.13/10万,前3位死因依次为妊娠期高血压疾病、脑出血、异位妊娠;流动人口孕产妇死亡率为4/10万,前3位死因依次为产科出血、合并内科疾病、羊水栓塞。结论:提高孕产妇系统保健管理的质量和数量,加强流动人口孕产妇管理,加强高危孕产妇的管理和危重症抢救,可进一步降低朝阳区孕产妇死亡率。