Maternal mortality measurement: guidance to improve national reporting

Overview

Through the work of the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), WHO has noted the emergence of common themes about the challenges of measuring maternal mortality at the national level. This guidance is intended to support personnel working in ministries of health, national statistics offices and other national agencies responsible for maternal mortality data collection.

The aims are to outline the best practices and recommendations for (1) the robust collection of valid, reliable and standardized data on maternal mortality; (2) improved quality and completeness of various data sources and systems, and linkages between them; and (3) the appropriate integration, interpretation and use of data, and consistent and standardized reporting of maternal mortality data at the national level.

This guidance is intended for widespread use and is not limited to low- and middle-income countries, given that challenges with measurement are known to persist across all settings and in the varying surveillance and data collection systems. Four case studies are presented from Sri Lanka, Georgia, Zimbabwe and Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh where steps have been taken to improve the accuracy of maternal mortality data, these illustrate a range of experiences and effective practices across diverse settings.