This chapter gives information on the pattern of disease and the quality of care per Province. Where sufficient information is available, tables concerning avoidable factors, missed opportunities and substandard care are given. Poor reporting in some Provinces makes the pattern of disease responsible for maternal deaths suspect. In some Provinces there was insufficient information to make a global assessment of the quality of care. In other Provinces there was sufficient information to assess the quality of care for the Province, despite considerable under-reporting. Data on the quality of care is included for the Western Cape despite low numbers of maternal deaths because the collection of maternal deaths for this Province is thought to be almost complete. In only three Provinces, sufficient information existed to calculate the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR). To ensure a higher quality of analysis in future, considerable effort will need to be spent in ensuring all the maternal deaths are collected and assessed in each Province.
Table 12.1 gives the primary obstetric cause of death for each Province. Table 12.2 gives details on the MMR for the Provinces, where they can be calculated.
In the future it is hoped that better reporting will allow for more accurate assessment of problems per Province and determining the magnitude of the problem of maternal deaths per Province. Without this information, proper description of problems and planning for solving them cannot occur.
