Abstract
We explore the trends in maternal mortality and health service utilization, and the effects of women’s education, place of residence and age at marriage on the latter by reviewing national representative data of Demographic and Health Surveys and other related research. The DHS surveys in 2000 and 2005 show that, while the maternal mortality ratio changed from 871 to 673 deaths per 100,000 live births, this decline is not statistically significant. The maternal mortality ratio further declined somewhat to 590 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2008. Moreover, antenatal care, skilled delivery and postnatal care service utilization did not increase in this 5-year period and remained the lowest in Africa. Maternal mortality is the only health and education MDG that may not be on track for the year 2015 in Ethiopia. Efforts to prevent maternal deaths require a broader range of sectors (beyond health) and partners (beyond government), such as: men as well as women, international organizations, governments, civil society and the media. All are important in expanding health services as well as improving the status of women through improving their educational status.
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Notes
- 1.
The other source of information on maternal mortality trend indicated that the maternal mortality ratio is 470 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2008 in Ethiopian. (WHO et al., 2010).
- 2.
The sources used to calculate these estimates are the 2000 Ethiopia DHS and the 1995 WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA estimates of maternal mortality.
- 3.
Population covered in percentage based on the existing health centers and health posts in a 10 km radius catchment area.
- 4.
A skilled attendant is: an accredited health professional – midwife, doctor or nurse – who has been educated and trained to proficiency in the skills needed to manage normal (uncomplicated) pregnancies, childbirth and the immediate postpartum period and in the identification, management and referral of complications in women and newborns (Herschderfer, 2004).
- 5.
Lead author of the booklet is Associate Professor Assefa Hailemariam, Institute of Population Studies, Addis Ababa University.
- 6.
EDHS (2000) presented the data on PNC as mothers who delivered in and out of health facility and timing of first postnatal checkup; whereas, EDHS (2005) presented irrespective of place of delivery. Mothers who delivered at health facility are assumed to have received a postnatal checkup.
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Seifu, M., Gebrehiwot, Y., Fantahun, M. (2011). Maternal Mortality and Human Development in Ethiopia: The Unacceptably Low Maternal Health Service Utilization and Its Multiple Determinants. In: Teller, C. (eds) The Demographic Transition and Development in Africa. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8918-2_7
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