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. 2022 Aug;7(8):e009465.
doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-009465.

Maternal mortality decline in Zimbabwe, 2007/2008 to 2018/2019: findings from mortality surveys using civil registration, vital statistics and health system data

Reuben Musarandega  1   2 , Jenny Cresswell  3 , Thulani Magwali  2 , Davidzoyashe Makosa  4 , Rhoderick Machekano  5 , Solwayo Ngwenya  6 , Lennarth Nystrom  7 , Robert Pattinson  8 , Stephen Munjanja  2 ; Zimbabwe Maternal and Perinatal Mortality Study (ZMPMS) Group
Collaborators, Affiliations

Maternal mortality decline in Zimbabwe, 2007/2008 to 2018/2019: findings from mortality surveys using civil registration, vital statistics and health system data

Reuben Musarandega et al. BMJ Glob Health. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1 target is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to less than 70 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030. In the Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality strategy, a supplementary target was added, that no country has an MMR above 140 by 2030. We conducted two cross-sectional reproductive age mortality surveys to analyse changes in Zimbabwe's MMR between 2007-2008 and 2018-2019 towards the SDG target.

Methods: We collected data from civil registration, vital statistics and medical records on deaths of women of reproductive ages (WRAs), including maternal deaths from 11 districts, randomly selected from each province (n=10) using cluster sampling. We calculated weighted mortality rates and MMRs using negative binomial models, with 95% CIs, performed a one-way analysis of variance of the MMRs and calculated the annual average reduction rate (ARR) for the MMR.

Results: In 2007-2008 we identified 6188 deaths of WRAs, 325 pregnancy-related deaths and 296 maternal deaths, and in 2018-2019, 1856, 137 and 130, respectively. The reproductive age mortality rate, weighted by district, declined from 11 to 3 deaths per 1000 women. The MMR (95% CI) declined from 657 (485 to 829) to 217 (164 to 269) deaths per 100 000 live births at an annual ARR of 10.1%.

Conclusions: Zimbabwe's MMR declined by an annual ARR of 10.1%, against a target of 10.2%, alongside declining reproductive age mortality. Zimbabwe should continue scaling up interventions against direct maternal mortality causes to achieve the SDG 3.1 target by 2030.

Keywords: epidemiology; health services research; maternal health; public Health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of study districts for Zimbabwe maternal and perinatal mortality study 2007–2008 and 2018–19.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Zimbabwe MMR estimates from different data sources, 2002–2019. Census, Zimbabwe population census; DHS, Demographic and Health Survey; MICS, Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey; MMEIG, Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group; MMR, maternal mortality ratio; MPDSR, Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response; ZMPMS, Zimbabwe Maternal and Perinatal Mortality Survey.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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