Assessment of the Impact of Level of Maternal Education on Maternal Deaths in Eastern Region of Ghana; A Human Rights-Based Approach

Abstract

Objective: The Human Rights-based Aproach to Social Development aims to positively transform power relations among duty bearers and rights holders with particular attention on social, economic, and cultural rights. This study analyzes the impact of formal education, (an inalienable human right progressively predicting better health, longer life and better health services utilization), onmaternal mortality.Methodology: A retrospective descriptive audit of all institutional maternal death records was completed for data abstraction. All records were assessed for consistency with the ICD-10 maternal death case definition. Data were analyzed across documented levels of education with epi info 3.5.1.Results: Mean maternal age was generally higher among women with ≤ JHS level of education. Mean gestational age at death varied insignificantly across all levels of education. Women with JHS level of education accounted for the highest proportion of maternal deaths while deaths among women with ≥ SHS level of education, (i.e. ≥ 12 years of formal education), remained low. Deaths amongwomen with informal occupations decreased with increasing level of education. Maternal deaths among women with ≤ JHS level of education occurred in higher proportions among women with spouses or partners of similar levels of education. Women unexposed to formal education poorly attended ANC, mostly needed blood transfusions and were further largely grand multiparous.Conclusion: All female gender-specific socio-economic, socio-cultural, geographical and religious barriers to accessing ≥ 12 years of formal education should be a research priority and targeted for elimination within the context of the HRBA.