Using data to drive change in maternal and perinatal deaths in Ethiopia

This is a suite of studies being led by Elias Roro as part of a PhD thesis. The overarching aim is to evaluate the MPDRS program in Ethiopia, with a specific focus on identifying the main barriers and enablers for accessing and utilisation maternity services. The effectiveness of the MPDRS implementation and its impact in terms of identification, notification, analysis, determination of causes, and potential to prevent maternal and perinatal deaths will be evaluated by comparing pre and post-implementation data.

The study also aims to assess the prevalence, determinants, and trends of maternal and perinatal mortality in Ethiopia. By employing a population-based study, all maternal and perinatal deaths reported during MPDRS implementation will be included . This data was continuously collected by the MPDRS system using a questionnaire developed for neonatal mortality, translated and pre-tested in the local context. Data analysis will include using descriptive statistics and regression modelling to identify determinants of deaths. Qualitative data will be collected.

Research team: Elias Roro, Vicki Flenady, Christine Andrews, Fran Boyle, Mary Kinney, Mitike Sisay.

Affiliation:

1. Mater Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Australia
2. Institute for Social Sciences Research, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia
3. University of Western Cape, School of Public Health, South Africa
4. College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
5. Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wollega University, Ethiopia