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The quality of the maternal health system in Eritrea
Author(s) -
Sharan Mona,
Ahmed Saifuddin,
Ghebrehiwet Mismay,
Rogo Khama
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.07.025
Subject(s) - medicine , case fatality rate , context (archaeology) , abortion , environmental health , health care , medical record , medical emergency , millennium development goals , pregnancy , developing country , population , economic growth , surgery , genetics , economics , biology , paleontology
Objective To examine the quality of the maternal health system in Eritrea to understand system deficiencies and its relevance to maternal mortality within the context of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5. Methods A sample of 118 health facilities was surveyed. Data were collected on 5 dimensions of health system quality: availability; accessibility; management; infrastructure; and process indicators. Data on the causes of hospital admissions for obstetric patients and maternal deaths were extracted from medical records. Results Eritrea has only 11 comprehensive emergency obstetric care (CEmOC) facilities, all of which are grossly understaffed. There is considerable pressure on the infrastructure and health providers at hospitals. Compliance with clinical care standards and availability of supplies were optimal. As a result, the case fatality rate of 0.65% was low. In total, 45.6% of obstetric admissions and 19.5% of maternal deaths were attributed to abortion complications. Conclusion In Eritrea, critical gaps in the health system—especially those related to human resources—will impede progress toward MDG 5, and it will not be possible to reduce maternal mortality without addressing the high burden of abortion.