EC Gynaecology

Introduction

In the last decade, some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have made progress in reducing maternal and perinatal deaths, but the rate of mortality is still high. All governments have made the commitment to improve maternal and child indicators, seeking alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. It is admitted that adequate information on the causes and circumstances of maternal and perinatal deaths is the indispensable element to make efforts to prevent future deaths. However, that implies having a robust surveillance and response system that identifies all adverse events in real time and helps to understand the underlying factors that contribute to these deaths and encourages the application of immediate actions to prevent future deaths [1].

1. “Making every baby count: audit and review of stillbirths and neonatal deaths”. Geneva, World Health Organization (2016).
2. Marston C., et al. “Community participation for transformative action on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health”. Bulletin of the World Health Organization5 (2016): 376-382.
3. “Assessment of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response Implementation in Kagera and Mara Region, Tanzania”. Washington (DC): Maternal Child Survival Program (2017).
4. “Assessment of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response Implementation in Nigeria”. Washington (DC): Maternal Child Survival Program (2017).