From September 17-18 2024, the Ifakara Health Institute joined partners hosted a vital meeting in Dar es Salaam, bringing together stakeholders from nine African countries as part of the Countdown to 2030 for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health initiative.

This gathering aimed to enhance the measurement of maternal and perinatal deaths in health facilities and populations. Representatives from the ministries of health in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Côte d’Ivoire convened to share insights and strategies for improving data collection and reporting on maternal and perinatal mortality rates.

Ensuring quality mortality data

The focus was on ensuring the quality and completeness of mortality data, which is crucial for effective public health planning. The meeting had three key objectives. First, it provided a platform for countries to share their experiences in tracking maternal and perinatal mortality, including maternal death rates, stillbirths, and newborn deaths prior to discharge. Participants discussed how they utilize existing health information systems to gather this important data from health facilities.

Second, the meeting explored methods to assess the quality of this data and produce accurate estimates of maternal and perinatal deaths at both facility and population levels. Emphasizing the importance of reliable data, participants underscored its role in guiding effective public health actions. Finally, discussions focused on improving how health facilities report maternal and newborn deaths, ensuring that data fully represents the realities on the ground.

Outcomes from the meeting include a comprehensive report summarizing the strategies and insights shared by the participating countries, along with findings from the 2024 Countdown to 2030 Accountability Mechanism.

The goal is to compile discussions on enhancing the completeness of reporting maternal and perinatal deaths, making the data reliable and actionable. Additionally, participants sought better methods for improving national and regional estimates of maternal mortality and stillbirth rates.

Important step in measuring, reporting deaths

This meeting marks an important step toward refining the measurement and reporting of maternal and perinatal deaths across Africa. By fostering knowledge exchange and developing strategies to enhance data collection, the Countdown to 2030 initiative supports countries in their efforts to reduce these preventable deaths, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 3.

The insights gained from this meeting will ultimately strengthen health systems and improve maternal and child health outcomes in the participating countries.