London School Of Hygiene And Tropical Medicine Audio News - Lshtm Podcast

HEIDELBERG—High maternal mortality rates in Africa could be reduced if all women delivered in a setting where a midwife or doctor can provide skilled care in case of complications. However, millions of women in Africa give birth at home. Two key factors influencing choice of delivery place are the distance from women’s homes to the closest health centre, and the quality of emergency obstetric care provided there, according to a study in rural Zambia published in the journal: PLoS Medicine. Sabine Gabrysch from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Institute of Public Health in Heidelberg discusses her findings and their implications for reducing maternal mortality.