function calculateMMR() {
// 1. Get Input Values using var
var deathsInput = document.getElementById('maternalDeaths');
var birthsInput = document.getElementById('liveBirths');
var womenInput = document.getElementById('reproductiveWomen');
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result-section');
var deaths = parseFloat(deathsInput.value);
var births = parseFloat(birthsInput.value);
var women = parseFloat(womenInput.value);
// 2. Validation
if (isNaN(deaths) || deaths < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid number of maternal deaths.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(births) || births 0) {
rateResult = (deaths / women) * 1000;
hasWomenData = true;
}
// 4. Update UI
resultDiv.style.display = 'block';
// Display MMR (Standard is integer or 1 decimal)
document.getElementById('mmrOutput').innerHTML = mmrResult.toFixed(1);
// Display Percentage
document.getElementById('percentageOutput').innerHTML = rawPercentage.toFixed(4) + "%";
// Display Rate
if (hasWomenData) {
document.getElementById('rateOutput').innerHTML = rateResult.toFixed(3);
} else {
document.getElementById('rateOutput').innerHTML = "N/A (Input missing)";
}
}
Understanding Maternal Mortality Calculations
Maternal mortality is a key health indicator reflecting the safety of childbirth and the quality of healthcare systems in a specific region. While the terms "rate" and "ratio" are often used interchangeably in casual conversation, they represent distinct statistical concepts used by epidemiologists and the World Health Organization (WHO).
1. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)
The Maternal Mortality Ratio is the most common measure used to assess the risk of death associated with a single pregnancy. It represents the obstetric risk.
MMR = (Number of Maternal Deaths / Number of Live Births) × 100,000
Because maternal deaths are relatively rare events in statistical terms, the ratio is expressed per 100,000 live births rather than per 100 or 1,000.
Example: If a region experiences 20 maternal deaths and has 50,000 live births in a year, the MMR is (20 ÷ 50,000) × 100,000 = 40.
2. Maternal Mortality Rate
The Maternal Mortality Rate measures the risk of maternal death among women of reproductive age (typically 15-49 years). This reflects both the risk of death per pregnancy and the frequency of pregnancy within the population.
Rate = (Number of Maternal Deaths / Number of Women Aged 15-49) × 1,000
This metric is expressed per 1,000 women. It is useful for understanding the overall burden of maternal death in the adult female population.
What Counts as a Maternal Death?
According to the WHO, a maternal death is defined as 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.
Why is this Data Important?
Monitoring these statistics allows governments and health organizations to:
Identify high-risk regions requiring immediate intervention.
Assess the effectiveness of prenatal and postnatal care programs.
Allocate healthcare resources efficiently to reduce preventable deaths.
Track progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3.1 aims to reduce global MMR to less than 70 per 100,000 live births).
Using the Calculator
To use the calculator above, simply input the total number of recorded maternal deaths and the total number of live births for the same time period and geographic area. Optionally, input the population of women of reproductive age to calculate the specific mortality rate.