Factors Associated with Maternal Death among Women of Child Bearing Age on the community perspectives; A Case Study of Kisemvule Village in Mkuranga District, Tanzania 2019

Objective: In the world, 303,000 women lose their life due to the complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Tanzania is ranked 6th and 4th among the countries with high maternal mortality globally and Africa respectively. About 23 women in Tanzania are dying daily due to preventable causes, related to pregnancy and childbirth that is approximately one woman every hour. The objective of this study was assessment of risk factors on community setting associated with maternal death among women of child bearing age.

Methods: During the study both quantitative and qualitative design was employed in which under quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken.

Results: We enrolled 124 women of child bearing age. The mean age was 17.7. (37%) mentioned preeclampsia as the most risk factor leading to maternal death, 21% reported abortion, 13.7% mentioned anemia, and 12.1% reported postpartum hemorrhage, and 10.5% pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), 3.2% ante partum hemorrhage and 2.4% early pregnancy. Other risk factors that seemed to cause maternal death included; delay to seek health facility to pregnant mother (8.9%), long distance from health facility to people’s residents (57.%), poor transport system in the village to reach the present health care facility (4.8%), negligence from health workers was also reported by the women as contributing factor (13.7%), economic condition-poverty (7.3%) absence of emergency blood bank in the health facility(4.8%), and poor nutrients to pregnant mother (3.2%). More studies are needed in the community so as to explore more understanding on the risk factors among women of child bearing age.