Methods used to measure maternal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa from 1980 to 2020: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Background: Gobally, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the largest maternal mortality burden, but the region lacks accurate data.

Objective: To review methods historically used to measure maternal mortality in SSA to inform future study methods.

Search strategy: We searched databases: PubMed, Medline, WorldCat and CINHAL, using keywords "maternal mortality," "pregnancy-related death," "reproductive age mortality," "ratio," "rate," and "risk," using Boolean operators "OR" and "AND" to combine the search terms.

Selection criteria: We searched for empirical and analytical studies that: (1) measured maternal mortality levels, (2) were in SSA, (3) reported original results, and (4) were not duplicate studies. We included studies published in English since 1980.

Data collection and analysis: We screened the studies using titles and abstracts, reading the full text of selected studies. We analyzed the estimates and strengths, and limitations of the methods.

Main results: We identified 96 studies that used nine methods: demographic surveillance (n = 4), health record reviews (n = 18), confidential enquiries and maternal death surveillance and response (n = 7), prospective cohort (n = 9), reproductive age mortality survey (RAMOS) (n = 6), sisterhood method (n = 35), mixed methods (n = 4), and mathematical modeling (n = 13).

Conclusion: Sisterhood method studies and RAMOS studies that combined institutional records and community data produced maternal mortality ratios more comparable with WHO estimates.

Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa; maternal death; maternal mortality; maternal mortality measurement; pregnancy-related deaths; systematic literature review.