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Effects of a Skilled Care Initiative on pregnancy-related mortality in rural Burkina Faso

  1. Sennen Hounton1,
  2. Joris Menten2,
  3. Moctar Ouédraogo1,
  4. Dominique Dubourg2,
  5. Nicolas Meda1,
  6. Carine Ronsmans3,
  7. Peter Byass4,
  8. Vincent De Brouwere2

Article first published online: 10 JUN 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2008.02087.x

Issue

Tropical Medicine & International Health

Tropical Medicine & International Health

Special Issue: An Evaluation of Skilled Care at Delivery in Burkina Faso

Volume 13, Issue Supplement s1, pages 53–60, July 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Hounton, S., Menten, J., Ouédraogo, M., Dubourg, D., Meda, N., Ronsmans, C., Byass, P. and De Brouwere, V. (2008), Effects of a Skilled Care Initiative on pregnancy-related mortality in rural Burkina Faso. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 13: 53–60. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2008.02087.x

Author Information

  1. 1

     Immpact, Centre Muraz, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

  2. 2

     Immpact, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium

  3. 3

     Immpact, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

  4. 4

     Immpact, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

*Corresponding Author Vincent De Brouwere, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. Tel.: +32 32476286; Fax: +32 32476258; E-mail: vdbrouw@itg.be

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 10 JUN 2008
  2. Article first published online: 10 JUN 2008

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Keywords:

  • maternal mortality;
  • pregnancy-related mortality;
  • skilled attendance at delivery;
  • effectiveness;
  • Burkina Faso

Summary

Objective  The aim of this paper is to assess to what extent a Skilled Care Initiative (SCI) was associated with pregnancy-related mortality in Ouargaye district, Burkina Faso.

Methods  We used a quasi-experimental design to compare pregnancy-related mortality within the intervention district (health facility areas covered by the SCI vs. areas not covered) and between the intervention district (Ouargaye) and a comparison district (Diapaga). Population-based data were used to examine differences in pregnancy-related mortality levels, their determinants and how they related to uptake of care, as well as examining contexts and mechanisms of pregnancy-related deaths that occurred. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate regression analyses.

Results  The main risk factors for pregnancy-related mortality in rural Burkina Faso were age (extreme ages of reproductive period), low coverage of antenatal care and low institutional delivery. The introduction of the SCI, as implemented within the study reference period, had no appreciable effect on pregnancy-related mortality.

Conclusion  Although the SCI was conceptually well designed and implemented, structural constraints may have limited its effectiveness for reducing pregnancy-related mortality within its period of implementation. Lessons have been identified which might enable similar skilled attendance strategies to make their full potential impact on pregnancy-related mortality in remote and rural settings.

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