Tables

Table 1. Mothers' Lives at Risk
Table 2. Unsafe Abortion Worldwide
Table 3. Postabortion Care Referral Network



Table 1.
Mothers' Lives at Risk
Maternal Deaths, Maternal Mortality Ratio, and Lifetime Risk of Maternal
Death, by Region






Region
Annual
Number of
Maternal
Deaths
Maternal
Mortality
Ratio 1
Lifetime
Risk of
Maternal
Death—
One in:
WORLD585,000430 60
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES24,000271,800
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES582,00048048
AFRICA235,00087016
Eastern Africa97,0001,06012
Middle Africa31,00095014
Northern Africa16,00034055
Southern Africa3,60026075
Western Africa87,0001,02012
ASIA2323,00039065
Eastern Asia24,00095410
South-central Asia227,00056035
South-eastern Asia56,00044055
Western Asia16,00032055
EUROPE3,200361,400
Eastern Europe2,50062730
LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN23,000190130
Central America4,700140170
South America15,000200140
NORTH AMERICA500113,700
OCEANIA21,40068026

1 Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) = the total number of maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births. This ratio measures the risk of death a women faces each time she becomes pregnant.
2 Australia, New Zealand and Japan have been excluded from the regional totals but are included in the totalfor developed countries.
Source: WHO & UNICEF 1996 (295)


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Table 2.
Unsafe Abortion Worldwide
WHO Global and Regional Estimates of Unsafe Abortions,
and Related Deaths, 1994






Region
Annual
Number of
Unsafe
Abortions
(in Millions)
Annual
Number of
Deaths from
Unsafe
Abortions

Risk of
Death
from Unsafe
Abortion
World Total20.0070,000
1 in 300
Developed countries2.34600
1 in 3,700
Europe.26100
1 in 2,600
Developing countries17.6269,000
1 in 250
Africa3.7423,000
1 in 150
Asia9.2440,000
1 in 250
Latin America4.626,000
1 in 800
Figures may not add to totals due to rounding.
Source: WHO 1994 (292)


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Table 3.
Postabortion Care Referral Network


Staff May Include: Emergency Postabortion Care Provided: Facilities Needed: Equipment and Supplies Needed: Family Planning Services Offered:
Community Level
Those given basic health training, including:
* Traditional birth attendants
* Traditional healers
* Community residents
* Recognition of abortion complications and spontaneous abortion
* Timely referral to formal health care system
* Health education on unsafe abortion
* Family planning information, education, and supplies
Usually none at this level. Good communication with primary health facility is essential. If available:
* Health education materials (client brochures, leaflets) health facility
* Counseling materials (cue cards, brochures, flipchart)
* Counseling and education
* Condoms
* Spermicides
* Oral contraceptives
* Referral and follow-up for these and other methods
Primary Level
* Nurses
* Auxiliary health workers including:
— Auxiliary nurse-midwives
— Health assistants
— Aides














---------------

At some primary-level facilities staff may include:
* Trained midwives
* General practitioners
* Medical residents
All community level activities plus:
* Simple physical and pelvic examination, especially taking vital signs and determining uterine size
* Diagnosis of stages of abortion
* Resuscitation and preparation for treatment or transfer, including:
— Management of airway and respiration
— Control of bleeding
— Pain control
— Hematocrit/hemoglobin test
— Referral
-------------------------

When trained staff and appropriate equipment are available, activities can include:
* Initiation of antibiotic therapy, intravenous fluid replace ment, and oxytocics
* Pain control including paracervical block, simple analgesia, and sedation
* Outpatient treatment room or area
* Side laboratory
* Family planning clinic














---------------

If antibiotics, or pain control

* Separate room or private corner of treatment room
Those listed for the community level plus:
* Examination couch/table,
* Gloves, protective clothing,
* Vaginal specula
* Soap/disinfectants
* Emergency resucitation kit
* Essential drugs
* Side laboratory equipment
* Transport vehicle or standing arrangements for transport


--------------------

uterine evacuation is offered:

* Broad-spectrum antibiotics
* Uterine evacuation (first trimester)
* Uterine evacuation kits—MVA or sharp cutterage
* Means of sterilizing equipment
* Local anesthesia
* Sedatives
* Analgesics
* Needles and syringes
All community-level services plus:
* Injectables,
* IUDs
* Norplantฎ implants, where available
* Referral for voluntary sterilization
* Follow-up
First Referral Level (District Hospital)
All those listed for the primary level plus:
* Trained midwives
* Medical residents
* General practitioners
* Physicians with training in obstetrics/gynecology
All primary level activities plus:
* Uterine evacuation for first and second trimester
* Treatment of most complications including surgical treatment of sepsis
* Blood replacement, including cross-matching (testing the compatibility of the donor and patient blood types) and transfusion
* Local and general anesthesia
* Laparotomy and indicated surgery for uterine perforations and associated injuries
* Diagnosis of pregnancy
* Diagnosis and referral of severe complications such as septicemia, peritonitis, or renal failure
* Treatment room in outpatient area, emergency ward, gynecology ward
* Recovery area
* Laboratory
* Surgical room
All those listed above plus:
* Sufficient uterine evacuation kits for caseload
* Laboratory equipment and reagents for microscopy, culture and basic hematology
* Blood or blood substitutes
* Blood collection, transfusion, and storage equipment
* Anesthesia, local and general
* Standard laparatomy set
* Pregnancy tests
* Ambulance
All those listed above plus:
* Voluntary sterilization
Secondary and Tertiary Level (Regional, National, or Teaching Hospital)
All those listed for the primary and first referral levels plus:
* Specialists in obstetrics, gynecology, and other relevant fields
All activities listed above plus:
* Uterine evacuation for all abortions
* Treatment of bleeding/clotting disorders
* Treatment of severe complications such as septicemia, septic shock, renal failure, bowel injury, tetanus, gas gangrene, including:
— Diagnostic X-ray
— Ultrasonography
— Laparoscopy
— Laparotomy including hysterectomy
All those listed above plus:
* 24-hour access to surgical room
* More complete laboratory
* Intensive care unit
* Shielded X-ray room
* Blood bank
All those listed above plus:
* Intensive care equipment
* X-ray equipment
* Sonograghy equipment
* Laparoscope
All those listed above
Source: Adapted from Winkler et al. 1995 (277) and WHO 1994 (293).

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