Need assessment of the availability and use of the emergency obstetric care in Tete Province: final report of needs assessment

RESUMO

"Maternal mortality is a serious health problem in Mozambique. While the last census in 1997 and the DHS did not calculate exactly the maternal mortality ratio in the country; careful estimates indicate the MMR to be between 500 and 1500 deaths per 100.000 live births; but no reference is given. The only reliable information that is available comes from a sisterhood survey done in 1995. Even with these important differences in estimation of the exact figure of the maternal mortality; the problem is being recongised as an important one for the health planners aand the donors in the country. Mozambique has made a clear commitment to reduce the maternal mortality in the country. In 1998 a first nation-wide Safe Motherhood needs assessment was done; which was followed in the same yaer by a systematic review of the causes of 90 maternal deaths. Following thisdynamism within the Ministry of Health; a national strategy to reduce the maternal morbidity and maternal and neonatal mortality was formulated in 1999 and adopted in 2000; the document was launched as the ""...Estrategias para a reducao da morbimortalidade materna e neonatal"". This document forms the basis for formulating interventions to reduce maternal mortality in Mozambique. It is based on strengthening the health services with the concept of the provision of obstetric care (basic and comprehensive) with an adequate referral sistem; community involviment and an improved data collection sistem."