Figure 1.

Flowchart showing selection of studies included in review. *The corresponding author of a report from Rwanda confirmed that MDs described as ‘due to cardiac failure’ were all MD due to cardiac disease. The report from Moldova for 2006–2008 only mentioned the total number of indirect deaths. The author of this report confirmed none of these deaths were caused by cardiac disease. The same author provided us with the mortality data of the review of 2009–2013, of which the report in English is not yet available. ^†Late maternal death is a death of a woman from direct or indirect causes more than 42 days but less than one year after termination of pregnancy. MD, Maternal death.