Beyond the Numbers Reviewing Maternal Deaths and Complications to Make Pregnancy Safer

Every year about eight million women suffer pregnancy-related complications which result in over half a million deaths, mostly in developing countries. However, the majority of these deaths could be avoided, even in situations where resources are limited, if the right kind of information is available. This publication explores options for generating this kind of information, which go beyond just counting deaths to developing an understanding of why they happened and how they can be averted. It is directed at health professionals, health care planners and managers working in the area of maternal and newborn health who are striving to improve the quality of care provided. It includes a CD-ROM of sample data collection and analysis forms to serve as a basis for local adaptation.