A 6-year (2004-2009) review of maternal mortality at the Eastern Regional Hospital, Koforidua, Ghana.

A 6-year (2004-2009) review of maternal deaths is presented to establish particular trends at the eastern regional hospital (1 of 10 regional hospitals in Ghana). There were a total of 191 maternal deaths over the period, with a total of 19,965 live births, giving a maternal mortality ratio of 957 per 100,000 live births. The main causes of maternal deaths were postpartum hemorrhage (22.5%), abortion-related causes (19.3%), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (17.8%), and puerperal sepsis (8.9%). The study revealed that the highest number of deaths was recorded in the period following termination of pregnancy (abortion or delivery). Timely referral of patients to this hospital could help reduce preventable maternal deaths.