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Further analysis of the Maternal Mortality Ratio

In July 2007, the results of the 2006 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey were published, with results suggesting a halving of the maternal mortality ratio, from 539 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births to 281 per 100,000, in just ten years. To further understand the facts behind these figures, the DfID/ Options Support to the Safe Motherhood Programme (SSMP) commissioned a study to examine the trends in maternal mortality, use of maternity services and socio-demographic changes in Nepal during the last ten years.
 
The study concluded that there is strong evidence of a significant decline in maternal mortality in Nepal, as a result of a wide range of improvements, including reduction of fertility rates (from 4.6 children per woman in 1996 to 3.1 in 2006) due to increasing met need for contraception (from 29% in 1996 to 48% in 2006), increasing rates of antenatal check-ups and increased levels of education among women. Despite this promising progress there is still much to do in the area of improving maternal care, most significantly increasing the number of births attended by a skilled birth attendant and increasing access to emergency obstetric care when complications occur. 
 
The full report of the study is available in the resources section of this website

01/08/2008 Ashima Shrestha SSMP