Health Statistics
The objective of this section is to present the best available data on a wide range of health and related indicators.  This should provide health planners and managers with easy access to data from a variety of sources.

Maternal mortality ratio (MMR)

[Related Resources]

Indicator Data
View by [Ethnic] [Geographic (SA provinces)] [International] [District]

Notes and References

1. Millennium Development Goals: United Nations Development Programme Millennium Development Goals web site. Range of documents and reports relating to the MDGs. http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/
   Local copy: -
   Data downloaded 2005-07-29.
2. Maternal Deaths 1998: Pattinson RC, editor. Saving Mothers: Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa 1998. 1999. http://www.doh.gov.za/docs/reports/mothers/contents.html Note that the methodology of confidential enquiries make them not an ideal public health tool for estimating maternal mortality ratios, primarily because reporting is health institution based and often under-reported. For 1998, the only provinces where there is a fair degree of confidence that the vast majority of deaths were recorded were Free State, Gauteng and Western Cape.
   Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/ReproHealth/saving_mothers_1998.pdf
   
3. Maternal Deaths 1998: Pattinson RC, editor. Saving Mothers: Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa 1998. 1999. http://www.doh.gov.za/docs/reports/mothers/contents.html Note that the methodology of confidential enquiries make them not an ideal public health tool for estimating maternal mortality ratios, primarily because reporting is health institution based and often under-reported. For 1998, the only provinces where there is a fair degree of confidence that the vast majority of deaths were recorded were Free State, Gauteng and Western Cape.
   Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/ReproHealth/saving_mothers_1998.pdf
   
4. Maternal Deaths 1998: Pattinson RC, editor. Saving Mothers: Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa 1998. 1999. http://www.doh.gov.za/docs/reports/mothers/contents.html Note that the methodology of confidential enquiries make them not an ideal public health tool for estimating maternal mortality ratios, primarily because reporting is health institution based and often under-reported. For 1998, the only provinces where there is a fair degree of confidence that the vast majority of deaths were recorded were Free State, Gauteng and Western Cape.
   Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/ReproHealth/saving_mothers_1998.pdf
   
5. SADHS 1998: Department of Health, Medical Research Council & Measure DHS+. South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 1998, Full Report. Pretoria: Department of Health; 2002. http://www.doh.gov.za/facts/1998/sadhs98/
   Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/SADHS_1998_Full.pdf
   The 'big five' causes of maternal deaths in 1998 were complications of hypertensive conditions in pregnancy (23.2%), AIDS (14.5%), obstetric haemorrhage (13.3%), pregnancy related sepsis (11.9%) and pre-existing medical conditions, mainly pre-existing cardiac disease (10.4%). These five causes of deaths accounted for 73.3% of all the maternal deaths reported.
6. Maternal Deaths 2001: Pattinson B, editor. Saving Mothers: Second Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa 1999-2001. Pretoria: Department of Health; 2002. Does not appear to be available electronically. ISBN: 1-875017-80-1
   Local copy: -
   Provincial problems.
7. Maternal Deaths 2001: Pattinson B, editor. Saving Mothers: Second Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa 1999-2001. Pretoria: Department of Health; 2002. Does not appear to be available electronically. ISBN: 1-875017-80-1
   Local copy: -
   Provincial problems.
8. Maternal Deaths 2001: Pattinson B, editor. Saving Mothers: Second Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa 1999-2001. Pretoria: Department of Health; 2002. Does not appear to be available electronically. ISBN: 1-875017-80-1
   Local copy: -
   Provincial problems.
9. Maternal Deaths 2001: Pattinson B, editor. Saving Mothers: Second Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa 1999-2001. Pretoria: Department of Health; 2002. Does not appear to be available electronically. ISBN: 1-875017-80-1
   Local copy: -
   Provincial problems.
10. Maternal Mortality in 2000: AbouZahr C, Warklaw T, editors. Maternal Mortality in 2000: Estimates Developed by WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA. Geneva: WHO; 2003. http://www.childinfo.org/maternal_mortality_in_2000.pdf or http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/maternal_mortality_2000/
    Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/ReproHealth/maternal_mortality_in_2000.pdf
    Range of uncertainty: 58-430.
11. Maternal Deaths 2001: Pattinson B, editor. Saving Mothers: Second Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa 1999-2001. Pretoria: Department of Health; 2002. Does not appear to be available electronically. ISBN: 1-875017-80-1
    Local copy: -
    Provincial problems.
12. Maternal Deaths 2001: Pattinson B, editor. Saving Mothers: Second Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa 1999-2001. Pretoria: Department of Health; 2002. Does not appear to be available electronically. ISBN: 1-875017-80-1
    Local copy: -
    Provincial problems.
13. Maternal Deaths 2003: National Committee for Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths. Fourth Interim Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa - Changing Patterns in Maternal Deaths 1998-2003. Department of Health - unpublished. Personal communication DoH. Report not released. 2006-07-07. Includes National guidelines for the use of antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy.
    Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/ReproHealth/saving_mothers_2003.pdf
    Calculated using proxy for number of live births of population <1 *1.04 to adjust for infant mortality - of population estimates by age group generated by HISP based on StatsSA 2005 data for the mid-2001 population.
14. Maternal Deaths 2003: National Committee for Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths. Fourth Interim Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa - Changing Patterns in Maternal Deaths 1998-2003. Department of Health - unpublished. Personal communication DoH. Report not released. 2006-07-07. Includes National guidelines for the use of antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy.
    Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/ReproHealth/saving_mothers_2003.pdf
    Calculated using proxy for number of live births of population <1 *1.04 to adjust for infant mortality - of population estimates by age group generated by HISP based on StatsSA 2005 data for the mid-2002 population.
15. Maternal Deaths 2003: National Committee for Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths. Fourth Interim Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa - Changing Patterns in Maternal Deaths 1998-2003. Department of Health - unpublished. Personal communication DoH. Report not released. 2006-07-07. Includes National guidelines for the use of antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy.
    Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/ReproHealth/saving_mothers_2003.pdf
    Calculated using proxy for number of live births of population <1 *1.04 to adjust for infant mortality - of population estimates by age group generated by HISP based on StatsSA 2005 data for the mid-2003 population.
16. Lancet 371(1294-304): South Africa Every Death Counts Writing Group. Every death counts: use of mortality audit data for decision making to save the lives of mothers, babies and children in South Africa. Lancet 2008; 371: 1294-304. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673608605644/fulltext
    Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/Journals/Lancet_371_1294.7z
    Based on Saving Mothers: Third Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa, 2002-2004.
17. Saving Babies 2003-2005: MRC Research Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies, PPIP Users and the Saving Babies Technical Task Team. Saving Babies 2003-2005: Fifth Perinatal Care Survey of South Africa. Pretoria; 2007. http://www.ppip.co.za/
    Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/ChildHealth/Saving_Babies_2003-5.pdf
    
18. Lancet 370(1311-19): Hill K, Thomas K, AbouZahr C, Walker N, Say L, Inoue M, et al. Estimates of maternal mortality worldwide between 1990 and 2005: an assessment of available data. Lancet 2007; 370: 1311-19. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607615724/fulltext
    Local copy: http://www.hst.org.za/indicators/Journals/Lancet_MMR_v370_1311.pdf
    Calculated based on a model using the Census 2001 data on pregnancy-related deaths. Range of uncertainty 270-530.