FEMALE MORTALITY IN REPRODUCTIVE AGES IN DAR-ES-SALAAM, TANZANIA

An audit of all cases of female mortality in the reproductive age grou ps has been performed in Dar es Salaam during 1991-93. Multiple source s or information was used to collect information on deaths. None of th e sources of information on death was alone adequate. 73 % of the inte rviews was done at home. The mother as another close relative was inte rviewed in more than 70 % of the cases. A total of 645 deaths were ide ntified and 18 % of these were related to pregnancy. Fever, shortness of breath and weight loss were the most common symptoms before death f ollowed by pallor and vomiting. Almost 90 % visited a health facility before death. AIDS (27 %), tuberculosis (13 %) and malaria (12 %) were the most common causes of death. Diagnosis could not be made from aud it data in 22 cases, and the relatives attributed 7.6 % of all deaths to witchcraft or just God's will. AIDS and related diseases are now a major cause of death in the female reproductive age group, There is ne ed to identify preventive measures of this disease as well as preventi on of malaria and tuberculosis.