[Interventions to reduce maternal mortality]

Abstract

The authors comment a proposal to adopt measures to reduce maternal death and suggest four levels of action: 1) actions aimed at improving the knowledge about the number and factors associated to high risk maternal mortality during pregnancy, delivery and puerperium; they comment on the undernumeration of maternal death cases and propose an improvement in vital statistics, epidemiologic investigation and the creation of maternal mortality committees; 2) action to assist pregnancy, delivery and puerperium, to increase both the coverage and the quality of medical care, prenatal care, institutional care to delivery, and post-partum care; 3) action to prevent pregnancy in women with high risk of maternal mortality, improving diagnosis and treatment of diseases that increase maternal risk, and promoting contraception for these cases; 4) other actions aimed at reducing the risk of death brought about by induced abortion.