Maternal Mortality in Mozambique: Findings on the Timing of Death and the Role of HIV/AIDS

Renee Lewis, U.S. Census Bureau
Francisco Mbofana, National Institute of Statistics, Mozambique
Elisio Mazive, National Institute of Statistics, Mozambique
Loraine A. West, U.S. Census Bureau
Stirling Cummings, MEASURE Evaluation
Robert G. Mswia, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A post-census mortality survey conducted in Mozambique in 2007 provided valuable information about maternal mortality. There were 213 sample cases of maternal deaths; 4,803 weighted maternal deaths. These deaths accounted for 14 percent of deaths in women of reproductive age (15-49). Fifty-five percent of maternal deaths were due to direct obstetric causes. About 18 percent of maternal deaths were HIV/AIDS-related indirect obstetric deaths and the remaining 27 percent were due to indirect causes other than HIV/AIDS (these two shares are not significantly different). Furthermore, only two percent of deaths occurred in the 24 hours post delivery which is a marked difference from other studies suggesting that 45 percent of maternal deaths occur within this period. This presentation will review the differences in findings with other studies as well as discuss the maternal mortality situation in Mozambique and the role HIV plays.