JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE April-May | Page 51

51 Proportion of maternal deaths among deaths of women of reproductive age (PM): the number of maternal deaths in a given time period divided by the total deaths among women aged 15–49 years. Approaches to measuring maternal mortality includes civil registration system, household surveys, census, reproductive age mortality studies (RAMOS) and verbal autopsies. rates reached very high levels in maternity institutions in the 1800s, sometimes climbing to 40 percent of birthgiving women (see Historical mortality rates of puerperal fever). At the beginning of the 1900s, maternal death rates were around 1 in 100 for live births. Currently, there are an estimated 275,000 maternal deaths each year. Public health, technological and policy approaches are steps that can be taken to drastically reduce the global maternal death burden. Prevention Medical Technologies The death rate for women giving birth plummeted in the 20th century. The historical level of maternal deaths is probably around 1 in 100 births. Mortality The decline in maternal deaths has been due largely to improved asepsis, fluid management mortality ratio (MMR), or the maternal mortality rate (MMRate). JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE