Reduced maternal mortality in Tunisia and voluntary commitment to gender-related concerns

Objective: To estimate the number and causes of maternal deaths in Tunisia from 1999 to 2007, and compare the results with the last report (1993-1994). Methods: Data on all deaths of women of reproductive age in the public (1999-2007) and private (2006 only) health sectors were collected and assessed for whether the death was due to pregnancy. Number of live births was provided by the National Institute of Statistics. Results: Mean maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Tunisia decreased from 68.9 per 100 000 live births in 1993-1994 to 36.3 (95% confidence interval, 27.9-46.5) in 2005-2007 (P < 0.001). Causes of maternal death did not change significantly during the study period (1999-2007): hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders were the main causes. The gap between urbanized and more rural regions observed in 1993-1994 had narrowed, although MMR remained higher in central and western regions than on the east coast. Conclusion: The improvement in MMR can be credited to the voluntary political commitment focused on gender-related concerns that has been made in Tunisia, including access to family planning; legalization of abortion; and creation of the National Board for Family and Population, and the Tunisian Safe Motherhood initiative in 1999.