Understanding Maternal Mortality Indicators
Maternal mortality is a key indicator of a country's health system performance and the quality of care provided to women during pregnancy and childbirth. Calculating these metrics accurately is essential for public health surveillance, policy planning, and resource allocation. This tool calculates the two primary indicators: the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMRatio) and the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMRate).
1. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMRatio)
The Maternal Mortality Ratio is the most widely used indicator. It measures the obstetric risk associated with each pregnancy. It depicts the risk of maternal death relative to the number of live births, essentially measuring the safety of childbirth.
Example: If there are 50 maternal deaths in a region with 100,000 live births, the MMRatio is 50 per 100,000 live births.
2. Maternal Mortality Rate (MMRate)
The Maternal Mortality Rate measures the risk of maternal death per woman of reproductive age (typically 15–49 years). Unlike the ratio, the rate reflects both the risk of maternal death per pregnancy and the fertility rate of the population (how often women get pregnant).
Note: While the multiplier is typically 100,000 to keep units consistent with the Ratio, some epidemiological studies may report this per 1,000 or 10,000 women. This calculator uses 100,000 for direct comparison.
Why do we need both?
- MMRatio focuses on the quality of care during pregnancy and delivery. High ratios indicate unsafe obstetrics.
- MMRate focuses on the overall burden of maternal death in the female population. It is influenced by both the safety of pregnancy and the frequency of pregnancy (fertility rate).
Data Definitions
- Maternal Death: The death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.
- Live Births: The complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, which, after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life.
- Reproductive Age: Conventionally defined as women between the ages of 15 and 49 years.
Interpreting the Results
According to international standards (World Health Organization), an MMRatio of less than 20 is considered "very low", while a ratio greater than 500 is considered "very high". Tracking these numbers over time helps health officials determine if interventions such as increased access to prenatal care, skilled birth attendance, and emergency obstetric care are effective.