The Lower Maternal Mortality in Matlab MCH-FP Area in Bangladesh: The Role of Non-Live-Birth Pregnancies

Mizanur Rahman, Pathfinder International
Julie DaVanzo, RAND
Abdur Razzaque, ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research

We examine whether the Matlab MCH-FP project has had any impact on maternal mortality and, if so, the extent to which differences in pregnancy outcomes and their case-fatality rates between the areas explain the mortality difference. We analyze longitudinal data from the Matlab Demographic Surveillance System on 142,966 pregnancies during the 1982-2002. The MCH-FP Area experienced 19% lower mortality than the Comparison Area, most of the reduction was associated with lower mortality for women whose pregnancies resulted in non-live births. In both areas maternal mortality is considerably higher for pregnancies that resulted in non-live-births compared to those that resulted in live births, and this is especially the case in the Comparison Area. The incidence of non-live-birth pregnancy outcomes was 24% lower in the MCH-FP Area than in the Comparison Area, and the likelihood of maternal death following a non-live-birth pregnancy was 39% lower in the MCH-FP than Comparison Area.