Factors influencing maternal mortality rate in Uganda

Abstract

Maternal mortality is defined as the death of a female during pregnancy, labor/delivery or within 42 days post-partum from causes related to or aggravated by the pregnancy and obstetric care received during that time. It is a health problem and the health sector is still facing challenges in lowering maternal mortality in Uganda. The study aimed at assessing the factors influencing maternal mortality rates in Uganda. A total of 18,506 respondents were included in this study. The data was analyzed at univariate, Bivariate and multivariate levels of analysis. The study found out that wealth status was associated with maternal mortality rates in Uganda. The study also found out that women’s age, parity, age of women at first birth, marital status, birth spacing, women’s education level and women’s occupation had no significant relationship with maternal mortality. The study therefore recommended that expectant mothers should be encouraged to visit health centers quite regularly, Skilled health workers such as gynecologists, midwives, nurses and medical officers should be available at all times to provide pregnancy care services including delivery at the health facilities. Quality services must be accessible, available and as close as possible to where women live for safety and effectiveness. In addition, these services must be acceptable to women by being responsive to local cultural and social norms. The government of Uganda and other stakeholders should increase their efforts in enhancing female education to attain favorable maternal health outcomes in the future. Interventions aimed at keeping girls in school for longer should be part of this effort. Scholarship programmes can be used to target girls from poor families and government legislation against early marriages may help girls to remain in school for more years. The government should also implement programmes that increases the household income as justified by the study that wealth status of the women influences maternal mortality in Uganda. There is also need for further studies on maternal mortality to be conducted in Uganda and her specific region to provide more knowledge on maternal mortality and measures to control it.