Maternal mortality among Palestinian women in the West Bank

Objective: To assess maternal mortality and determine the most common causes of maternal death among Palestinian women. Methods: Available data on the 431 women who died between the ages of 15 and 49 years in the West Bank in 2000 and 2001 were reviewed. The data were collected from official agencies and, using the verbal autopsy approach, interviews of the deceased women's relatives. The interviews were conducted in all 10 districts of the West Bank over 30 months. Results: Maternal mortality ratios for 2000 and 2001 were 29.2 and 36.5 per 100,000 live births, respectively. Cardiovascular diseases and hemorrhage were the most common causes of death. Misclassification was found in 38% of the deaths. A tentative analysis of avoidability indicated that 69% of maternal deaths could be classified as avoidable. Conclusion: A majority of the maternal deaths identified were avoidable. Substandard classification of maternal deaths is hampering efforts to reduce maternal mortality.