Maternal Mortality and Morbidity in Developing Countries: Factors and Strategies

Running head: ESSAY
Discuss the factors associated with maternal mortality and maternal morbidity in developing
countries. What strategies can you suggest to address these problems and why
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Author Note

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ESSAY
Introduction
Morbidity and mortality though inter-related, are two different terns. Mortality means
state of being subject to death and morbidity means a condition of being diseased. The
concept of maternal morbidity and mortality holds immense significance in the domain and
childbirth and health of the mother (Filippi et al. 2016). According to the World Health
Organisation in spite of having the high level of global focus over the maternal morbidity and
mortality as an alarming public health issue, very poor knowledge is available in the domains
of maternal mortality and morbidity along with the reasons underlying their occurrence
(Filippi et al. 2016). The following essay aims to provide a detailed understanding about the
maternal mortality and morbidity in the developing countries around the world. The essay
will initiate via providing an overview of the statistics of maternal mortality and morbidity in
developing countries followed at the analysis of the underlying reasons and strategies to
overcome this scenario.
Statistics of maternal mortality and morbidity
UNICEF India (2018) stated that maternal mortality and morbidity rate are high in the
Asia and Africa in comparison to the countries in the Northern Europe and America. In
relation to the maternal mortality and morbidity in Indian, one developing country in Asia,
UNICEF highlighted that the maternal mortality rate has decreased from 212 deaths per
100,000 live births during the year 2007 to 167 death in the year 2013. However, the overall
picture of maternal morbidity in India is still alarming. Under the global context UNICEF
highlight that around the world, 800 women die each day from modifiable causes associated
with pregnancy and childbirth and of these 20% accounts to Indian population. Annually it is
estimated that 44,000 women die due to modifiable risk factors in pregnancy in India.
Another Asian country which suffers from high rate of maternal mortality and morbidity is

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ESSAY
Afghanistan. According to the survey commissioned Afghan Ministry of Public Health and
conducted by US Centres for Disease Control and prevention and UNICEF, the maternal
mortality ratio of Afghanistan accounts to 1600 deaths per 100,000 live births and this
highest in the world. In the most remote and in rural districts on Afghanistan, the estimate
accounts for 6507 deaths per 100,000 live births. The most common cause of death includes
obstructed labour especially among the young women and lack of skilled birth attendant
(Britten 2017).
Figure: Maternal mortality ratio in India
Source: National Institution for Transforming India Government of India 2018

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ESSAY
Under African context, African Population and Health Research Centre [APHRC]
(2017) highlighted that in Nigeria, one out of 13 women die during labour pain or the at the
time of delivery or immediately post delivery tenure. The risk is high in comparison to other
parts of Africa where the ratio is 1 out of 31 child births. Nigeria accounts for about 40,000
maternal death per year which increase the overall rate of morbidity in the obstetric
department and accounts for about 14% of the global maternal mortality and morbidity toll.
According to APHRC (2017), Nigeria is the second largest contributor of maternal morbidity
after India. 109 Nigerian women die encounters premature death from preventable causes at
the time of pregnancy or during the time of delivery.
Figure: Trends in Maternal Mortality Rate per 100,000 live births from 1990 to 2015
(Source: APHRC 2017)
Reasons underlying maternal morbidity and mortality
Caldwell (1986) highlighted that the main reasons underlying the maternal mortality
and morbidity in the developing or poor countries are guided by the socio-economic factors,