Annotation of "A comprehensive and integrated project to improve reproductive health at Oyam District, northern Uganda: insights from maternal death review at a district hospital"
In 2007, the European Union funded a project called “Improving access and quality to Reproductive Health in Oyam District , Uganda” . This project aimed to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality by increasing health resources, education, and services. In April 2009, a one-year study was conducted to assess the project and provide the first detailed record of hospital-based maternal mortality in Oyam District, Uganda. This study is very rare in that it makes appropriate strides in addressing the causes of death and why we have failed to reduce maternal mortality despite our efforts. An honest analysis of the benefits and limitations of the project followed, paving the pathway for strengthened preventative measures and future interventions.
Within one year, 17 maternal deaths were due to direct obstetrics, indirect obstetrics, and health staff negligence. It is important to note that emergency room care could have prevented half of these mortalities. Based on these results, the three main goals for future interventions were “improving the quality of assistance in the health centers, implementing an emergency room service in the hospital, and counteracting unsafe abortions”. This study is critical in guiding future preventative measures because it details maternal death review. Maternal death review provides valuable insight because it unveils how women are dying and why the health care is falling short. Because the Ugandan government never allocated funds for maternal death review, it was hard to truly address maternal mortality in the past. Thus, this study is groundbreaking and provides an essential foundation for future maternal mortality prevention programs.
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