Table 2.

Definition of the study outcomes.

Primary outcomes

Maternal mortality (deaths). The death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management (from direct or indirect obstetric death), but not from accidental or incidental causes in the gestation period and childbirth or within 42 days after termination of pregnancy regardless of the length and site of the pregnancy.

Neonatal mortality (deaths). The death of a newborn during the first 28 days of life. In 2017, ~2.5 million deaths occurred in the first month of life. On average, 7,000 deaths occurred every day, the majority of which happening in the first week after birth. Around 36% of deaths occurred the same day of birth, and about 75% of all newborn deaths occurred in the first week of life. The global neonatal mortality rate fell from 37 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 18 in 2017.

Under-five mortality (deaths). The death of a child during the first 5 years of life. Worldwide, most child and young adolescent deaths happen at the youngest ages. In 2017, 85% of the 6.3 million deaths happened in the first 5 years of life, and 47% of the under-five deaths occurred in the first month of life. Across all the SDG regions and in both high-income and low-income groups, over 80% of the deaths under 15 years of age happened in the first 5 years of life irrespective of the mortality level.

Secondary outcomes

Skilled birth attendance. In resource-limited settings, accessibility to a skilled attendant at the time of delivery is a vital lifesaving intervention for both mothers and babies. Not having access to this key assistance is a disadvantage to women's health because it could lead to the demise of the mother.

Antenatal and post-natal attendance. Having access to antenatal and post-natal care has a significant impact on infants' deaths and on trends in a maternal mortality through the provision of encouragement deliver with skilled birth attendant or in a health facility. When mothers miss post-natal clinic attendance after childbirth, it affects completion of the care and invariably contributes to maternal morbidity and mortality. Sub-Saharan Africa is consistently characterized by poor nature of post-natal clinic attendance.

Vaccination and immunization coverage. In spite of the recent success, almost 20% of the 8.8 million deaths under-five globally occurring each year are caused by vaccine-preventable disease. With the introduction of primary vaccination through the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) WHO, childhood vaccination was proved to be the most effective public health intervention. In spite of the evidence that vaccines are effective, many children in resource-limited areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia either get vaccinated late or remain non-vaccinated.