Table 1.

Summary of reviewed confidential enquires into maternal deaths

Country	Date of initiation of CEMD	Who makes recommendations	Method of dissemination	Frequency of dissemination	References
France	1996	Assessors of national confidential enquiry into maternal deaths which had wide representation	Report	Triennial	39
India ‐ Kerala	2004	Central review committee of Kerala foundation of obstetrics and gynaecologists—obstetricians and non‐obstetric clinical assessors	Report	“Periodically”	24
Japan	1995	Maternal death exploratory committee which consists of 15 obstetricians, 4 anaesthesiologists, 2 pathologists, emergency physician, and other specialists	As a journal article	Annual	21, 40
Kenya	2017	Assessors of maternal and perinatal deaths surveillance and review committee	Report	No information	22
Malawi	2009	National Committee on Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths	Report	Annual	41
Malaysia	1991	CEMD national committee, which is led by a senior obstetrician	Report	Triennial	13
Moldova	2006	Confidential enquiry into maternal death committee which consists of clinical managers, department heads, and leading health professionals. The national committee consists of key individuals with authority	Report and a plenary session in a scientific congress for obstetricians	No information	14
Morocco	2009	National expert committee comprises of experts in obstetrics and gynaecology, anaesthesiology, public health, and one midwife	Report	Annual	11, 42
Netherlands	1998 (started in 1981)	Maternal mortality committee—consisting of 8 obstetricians and one maternal medicine internist. Dutch Society of Obstetrics oversees these activities	At the National Congress of the Netherlands Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Case reports are published in the Netherlands Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology	Triennial	18, 43
New Zealand	From 2006	PMMRC—maternal mortality review committee consists of obstetricians, midwife, physicians, general practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and perinatal psychiatrist	Annual report for both perinatal and maternal deaths	Annual	23
Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)	2010	Experienced group of clinicians forming a local audit group in each country	Presented at national meetings	No information	44
South Africa	1998	National Committee for Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths consisting of experienced ministerial personnel representing obstetrics, midwifery, anaesthesia, and provincial representatives	Report on key recommendations and a combined policy brief on recommendations from maternity, infant, and child deaths	Annual	17, 20
United Kingdom	1952	The multidisciplinary writing group after reviewing cases in detail by consultant obstetricians, anaesthetists, midwives, psychiatrists, and if required by other clinical specialists	Report and a national launch meeting	Triennial until 2009. Annual from 2014 onwards	16