Estimating maternal health

Irwin Loy and Mom Kunthear

Phnom Penh Post

A NEW global study has reported a “dramatic” drop in the rate of women who die during pregnancy and childbirth in Cambodia, potentially providing cause for optimism among health experts who have long been frustrated by a perceived lack of progress with respect to the problem.

The study, published in the medical journal The Lancet last week, suggests that rather than remaining stagnant, maternal mortality rates (MMR) have fallen significantly both in Cambodia and worldwide. But it appears to contradict current widely used domestic estimates, which suggest the Kingdom has made little statistical progress on reaching a key Millennium Development Goal (MDG).

The authors of the study concluded that there were 266 deaths for every 100,000 live births in Cambodia in 2008, far lower than the accepted rate.
The 2008 national census estimated the MMR at 461 per 100,000, the third-highest in the region.

The findings come as a surprise to some experts, who say they are encouraged by the results but remain cautious with regard to their validity.
“If it is true, then this is great news for all of us,” said Chan Theary, executive director of the Reproductive and Child Health Alliance.

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