Table 2.
Causes of pregnancy-related deaths in Zimbabwe, 2007-08 and 2018-19; Incidence rate (IR) and Incidence rate ratio (IRR) per 10 000 and 95% confidence intervals (CI)
| Cause of death (ICD10-MM Group and specific causes)* | 2007-2008 | 2018-2019 | IRR (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of deaths | IR/10000 | Number of deaths | IR/10000 | ||
| Direct causes | 180 (55%) | 39.5 | 103 (75%) | 15.3 | 0.39 (0.30-0.50) |
| 1 Pregnancies with abortive outcome | 30 | 6.6 | 24 | 3.6 | 0.54 (0.30-0.96) |
| Unsafe/septic /complications of abortion | 19 | 4.2 | 12 | 1.8 | 0.43 (0.19-0.93) |
| Ectopic pregnancy/ruptured ectopic pregnancy | 7 | 1.5 | 7 | 1.0 | 0.68 (0.20-2.3) |
| Peri-abortal haemorrhage | 4 | 0.88 | 5 | 0.74 | 0.85 (0.18-4.3) |
| 2 Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy | 34 | 7.5 | 25 | 3.7 | 0.50 (0.29-0.86) |
| Severe/Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia | 34 | 7.5 | 22 | 3.3 | 0.44 (0.24-0.77) |
| Hypertensive disease in pregnancy | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 0.44 | - |
| 3 Obstetric haemorrhage | 64 | 14.0 | 34 | 5.1 | 0.36 (0.23-0.55) |
| Unspecified obstetric haemorrhage | 26 | 5.7 | 17 | 2.5 | 0.44 (0.23-0.85) |
| Postpartum haemorrhage/PPH | 26 | 5.7 | 11 | 1.6 | 0.29 (0.13-0.60) |
| Antepartum haemorrhage/APH | 4 | 0.88 | 2 | 0.30 | 0.34 (0.03-2.4) |
| Ruptured uterus/Uterine rupture | 8 | 1.8 | 4 | 0.60 | 0.34 (0.07-1.27) |
| 4 Pregnancy-related infections | 33 | 7.2 | 7 | 1.0 | 0.14 (0.05-0.33) |
| Puerperal sepsis | 32 | 7.0 | 4 | 0.60 | 0.08 (0.02-0.24) |
| Chorioamnionitis/Septicaemia | 1 | 0.22 | 3 | 0.45 | 2.0 (0.16-106.8) |
| 5 Other obstetric complications | 14 | 3.1 | 12 | 1.8 | 0.58 (0.25-1.4) |
| Obstructed/prolonged labour | 7 | 1.5 | 1 | 0.14 | 0.10 (0.0-0.75) |
| Obstetric/pulmonary embolism | 3 | 0.66 | 2 | 0.30 | 0.45 (0.04-3.9) |
| Cardiomyopathy/Postpartum cardiomyopathy | 3 | 0.66 | 8 | 1.2 | 1.8 (0.43-10.6) |
| Hyperemesis gravidarum | 1 | 0.22 | 1 | 0.14 | 0.68 (0.01-53) |
| 6 Unanticipated complications of management | 5 | 1.1 | 1 | 0.14 | 0.14 (0.0-1.2) |
| Anaesthetic complications/High spinal anaesthesia | 5 | 1.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 (0.0-0.74) |
| High spinal | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.14 | - |
| Indirect causes | 145 (45%) | 31.8 | 34 (26%) | 5.2 | 0.16 (0.11-0.24) |
| 7 Non-obstetric complications | 113 | 22.6 | 29 | 4.2 | 0.18 (0.12-0.28) |
| HIV/AIDS | 72 | 15.8 | 10 | 1.5 | 0.09 (0.04-0.18) |
| Malaria | 23 | 5.0 | 2 | 0.30 | 0.06 (0.01-0.24) |
| Tuberculosis | 8 | 1.8 | 2 | 0.30 | 0.17 (0.02-0.85) |
| Cardiac disease | 5 | 1.1 | 3 | 0.45 | 0.41 (0.06-2.1) |
| Other indirect causes | 5 | 1.1 | 12 | 1.8 | 1.6 (0.53-5.9) |
| 8 Unknown/undetermined causes | 19 | 4.2 | 3 | 0.45 | 0.11 (0.02-0.36) |
| Unknown/unspecified causes | 19 | 4.2 | 3 | 0.45 | 0.11 (0.02-0.36) |
| 9 Coincidental causes | 13 | 2.9 | 2 | 0.30 | 0.10 (0.01-0.46) |
| Assault, Poisoning, Suicide, RTA | 13 | 2.9 | 2 | 0.30 | 0.10 (0.01-0.46) |
| Total deaths | 325 | 71.3 | 137 | 20.4 | 0.29 (0.23-0.35) |
| Total deliveries | 45579 | - | 67225 | - | - |