Maternal mortality in the world over the last thirty years

Abstract

Introduction: Maternal mortality (MM) is the proportion of women who die from causes related to pregnancy while they are in that stage or the 42 days following the interruption of pregnancy. There are few studies worldwide that address the issue. Objective: To evaluate MM globally in the last thirty years based on the information reported by the World Health Organization and the Our World in Data portal. The variables assessed are the MM rate per 100,000 live births and the MM rate vs. GDP per capita. Method: ANOVA analysis of variance with Tukey's contrast test and data transformation was used. Results: A significant statistical difference was detected between continents regarding MM, where Africa and Asia lead the list of MM. Conclusions: The lowest MM is found in nations with higher incomes. The opposite is the case for countries with low economic income. The technological and financial gaps between the different regions of the world directly impact the MM rate. For future studies, it is recommended to include different macroeconomic variables.