TITLE:
Review of Maternal Deaths in Two Health Regions of Togo: About 69 Cases (Epidemiological and Sociodemographic Aspects)
AUTHORS:
Baguilane Douaguibe, Dédé Régina Ajavon, Wahabou Koffi, Pakieyendou Tongou, Yendoutie Kambote, Francis Bararmna-Bagou, Romario Mawougbe, Samado Aboubakari
KEYWORDS:
Maternal Death, Review, Cause, Togo
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.13 No.10,
October
24,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Maternal mortality is a public health
problem. It is common in hospitals in Togo. From 401 per 100,000 live births in
2013, in 2017 we are 396 per 100,000 live births. Despite several programs
ranging from subsidized caesarean section (CARMA) yezou (assistance for
pregnant women), the establishment of maternal death reviews in maternity wards
to compensate for avoidable causes; we are seeing preventable maternal and
fetal deaths in our hospitals. No study on these reviews has been done since
its establishment. The objective of our study was to determine the frequency of
reviews of maternal deaths, the epidemiological, sociodemographic aspects and
the causes of these reviewed maternal deaths. Method: This was a
descriptive and cross-sectional, multicenter study lasting four and a half
years, from the 1st of January 2018 to the 30th of June
2022, relating to the review of maternal deaths in three reference hospitals of
two health regions of south Togo. Any maternal death occurring in one of these
hospitals during the study period was included in this survey. The data
collected using a collection sheet were analyzed using Epi Info version 7
software. Results: During the study period, the maternal mortality ratio
in the three hospitals was 722.3 per 100,000 live births. Only 12.2% of
maternal deaths were reviewed in the three hospitals. The patients were young
with an average age of 29.9 years, housewives (71%), uneducated (21.7%). The
causes of maternal deaths were dominated by direct obstetric causes (89.7%).
The main cause was hemorrhage (72.5%), the main cause being immediate postpartum hemorrhage (50.7%). Conclusion: This study shows that the maternal mortality ratio still remains high in our
country with a low frequency of maternal death reviews. Young, poor, uneducated
women are the most affected by these deaths, the main cause of which remains
hemorrhage. Preventive measures deserve to be taken at all levels with a view
to reducing maternal mortality.