Maternal Mortality in the Developing World – Simple Solutions Aren’t Enough

Abstract

Approximately 300,000 women die annually due to obstetric complications and 99% of these deaths occur in middle and low-income countries. It is estimated that 75% of these deaths occur due to preventable or treatable causes. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the existing body of literature on ways to lower maternal mortality rates in low and middle-income countries. Women face similar barriers to accessing skilled care during the prenatal, birth and postpartum periods in developing countries in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. This thesis examines two well-established frameworks in the field of maternal mortality: the Five A’s in Access to Care, introduced by Penchansky and Thomas in 1981, and the Three Delays Model introduced by Thaddeus and Maine in 1994. This paper synthesizes some of the most recent literature published in peer-reviewed journals on the barriers to facility births and utilizes expert interviews to explore the common barriers to facility births irrespective of continent and cultural identifiers like customs, language and religion. It argues that interventions that address only one or a few barriers are too simplistic and therefore somewhat ineffective. Maternal mortality is a complex problem that requires complex solutions. Finally, this paper highlights one particularly successful maternal healthcare program currently operating in a low resource area of Tanzania and argues that it should be replicated in other low resource settings worldwide.