A 5-YEAR STUDY OF MATERNAL MORTALITY IN FAISALABAD CITY PAKISTAN

A 5-year study (1989-1993) of 215 maternal deaths in Faisalabad (third largest city of Pakistan) is presented. There were 276 717 live birth s recorded by the Municipal Corporation during that period, giving a m aternal mortality of 0.77/1000 live births. These deaths included 88 ( 40.9%) in teaching hospitals, 70 (32.6%) at home and 57 (26.5%) in pri vate hospitals. The main causes of maternal death were postpartum hemo rrhage, 50 (23.3%), followed by pregnancy induced hypertension/eclamps ia and non-obstetric causes, 34 (15.8%) each. The study reveals that t raditional birth attendant (TEA) training/refresher courses, intensive community education, antenatal checkup in local areas, free obstetric flying squad service, better linkage between formal and informal heal th services, home maternal death condolence camps and improvement of o bstetric care in hospital, offered free for deserving cases have playe d major roles in reducing maternal mortality.