Strengthening Leadership and Governance for Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response in a Low-Income Urban Setting: Experiences from Kampala, Uganda

Robust leadership at all levels and a culture of accountability are key factors for the successful implementation and sustainability of maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR). The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Maternal Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) Activity supported Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to establish a citywide MPDSR committee to conduct confidential inquiries on select maternal and perinatal deaths and ensure timely implementation of agreed-upon actions.

Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (PDSR) in Sierra Leone: Towards an Integrated MPDSR Approach

In Sierra Leone, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is estimated at 717 per 100,000 live births, and the neonatal and perinatal mortality rates at 31 per 1,000 live births and 34 per 1,000 total births, respectively. These are among the highest in the world. Sierra Leone established a nationwide maternal death surveillance and response (MDSR) system in 2016 to address the poor indicators. The MDSR is a platform for collecting, analysing, and reviewing data that will inform actions to prevent maternal deaths. The perinatal death surveillance and response (PDSR) system was established in four regional hospitals in 2019 and rolled out to 12 additional hospitals in 2021. Currently both systems operate independently.

Integrating Maternal Near-Miss Case Reviews with the Pre-existing Maternal Death Surveillance and Response System: Learning with Three Malawian Hospitals

The World Health Organization recommends inclusion of maternal near-miss case reviews along with the maternal death surveillance and response (MDSR) system as quality improvement initiatives with the aim to improve availability of useful metrics, promote accountability, and improve reporting of severe maternal outcomes. This study evaluates the process of integrating maternal near-miss case reviews within the pre-existing maternal death and surveillance system in three hospitals in Malawi.

Use of Digital Technology for Real-Time Reporting of Maternal Deaths: Development of a Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Tool - An Experience from Pakistan 

Maternal mortality is considered a key indicator of a country's health status and its socio-economic development. Pakistan's estimated maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is 178. Over the past decades, Pakistan has managed to reduce MMR from 276/100,000 to 178/100,000. However, subnational data shows variation, with 140/100,000 in Punjab and 298/100,000 in Balochistan. This data is available through surveys only and there is a need for real-time data reporting with cause of maternal death in addition to surveys.