Malawi 2015-16

ADULT AND MATERNAL MORTALITY 15
Key Findings
• Adult mortality: 184 of 1,000 women and 218 of 1,000
men age 15 would be expected to die before reaching
age 50.
• Maternal mortality ratio: The maternal mortality ratio
during the 7-year period before the 2015-16 MDHS is
estimated as 439 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
• Lifetime risk of maternal death: At current fertility and
mortality rates, 2% of women in Malawi will die from
maternal causes during their reproductive lifetime.
• Pregnancy-related mortality: Pregnancy-related
mortality has declined steadily since 2000. In the 7 years
before the 2015-16 MDHS survey, the pregnancy-related
mortality rate decreased significantly and reached 497
deaths per 100,000 live births. This decreased from 675
deaths per 100,000 live births in the 7 years before the
2010 MDHS survey.
A
dult and maternal mortality indicators can assess the health status of a population, especially in
developing countries such as Malawi. Estimation of mortality rates requires complete and
accurate data on adult and maternal deaths. In the 2015-16 MDHS, data were collected from
women on the survival of their sisters and brothers to obtain an estimate of adult mortality. The inclusion
of questions to determine if any of the sisters’ deaths were maternity-related permits the estimation of
maternal mortality, which is a key indicator of maternal health and well-being.
This chapter presents information on the levels and trends of adult mortality and maternal mortality in
Malawi. The chapter includes a summary measure ( 35 q 15 ) that represents the probability of dying between
exact ages 15 and 50—that is, between the 15th and 50th birthdays.
15.1 DATA
To obtain a sibling history, each female respondent was first asked to provide the total number of her
mother’s live births (including the birth of the respondent). The respondent was then asked to provide a list
of all brothers and sisters born to her mother, beginning with the first born, and to identify whether each
sibling was alive at the time of the survey. The current age was recorded for living siblings. For deceased
siblings, the age at death and number of years since death were recorded. Interviewers were instructed that
when a respondent could not provide precise information on age at death or years since death, approximate
but quantitative answers were acceptable. For sisters who died at age 12 or older, several questions were
used to determine if the death was maternity-related: “Was (NAME OF SISTER) pregnant when she
died?” and if not, “Did she die during childbirth?” and, if not, “Did she die within two months after the end
of a pregnancy or childbirth?” and if yes, “How many days after the end of the pregnancy did she die?”
Since accidental and incidental deaths are not counted as maternal deaths, respondents were asked if all
sisters who died had died from an act of violence or an accident. Table 15.1 shows the number of living
Adult and Maternal Mortality • 245