Demonstrating programme impact on maternal mortality

Reducing maternal mortality is one of the primary goals of safe motherhood programmes in developing countries. Maternal mortality is not, however, a feasible outcome indicator with which to judge the success of these programmes. This is due to an unfortunate combination of obstacles to measurement - some general to assessing the mortality impact of health programmes and some peculiar to estimating maternal mortality. There is a need to promote alternative views and measures of programme success, and alternative uses for information on maternal deaths.