ABSTRACT
This is a retrospective hospital based study of 72 maternal deaths reported at Kassala New Hospital [Eastern Sudan] in the period from 1/1/1997 to 31/12/1998. The objective of this study is to analyze and determine the cause and contributing factors of these deaths. 41.7% of these were due to direct obstetrical causes. The hospital maternal mortality ratio was found to be 2351 per 100,000 live birth. Complicated malaria [30.2%] and severe anaemia [20.8%] were the leading causes. Puerperal sepsis [11.1%]was the leading cause of direct obstetrical deaths followed by haemorrhage [9.7%] and obstructed labour [8.3%]. Delay in seeking care was found in 87.5% of cases, failure to refer cases by health visitors, midwives and doctors in 64.7% and delay in receiving optimum care in index hospital in 11.1%