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Public Health & Epidemiology vocabulary · Measuring Health and Disease

Maternal mortality ratio

Meaning in public health & epidemiology, with examples

nounCommon term

In public health & epidemiology, maternal mortality ratio means: The number of women who die from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth for every 100,000 live births, counting deaths during pregnancy or within 42 days after it ends.

In Turkish: anne ölüm oranı

How it is used

Shortened to MMR, which can be confusing because MMR is also the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. It is an SDG indicator: the global target is fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Example sentences

  1. Training more midwives helped cut the maternal mortality ratio by half in ten years.

  2. The maternal mortality ratio is still far above the SDG target in several countries.

Common collocations

  • maternal deaths
  • reduce maternal mortality
  • per 100,000 live births
  • skilled birth attendance
  • infant mortality rateThe number of babies who die before their first birthday for every 1,000 live births in a given year.
  • mortality rateThe number of deaths in a population during a period, divided by the size of that population, often given per 1,000 or 100,000 people per year.
  • Sustainable Development GoalsSeventeen global goals adopted by all UN member states in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and improve lives by 2030; Goal 3 is about health and well-being.
  • access to healthcareThe ability of people to get the health services they need when they need them, which depends on cost, distance, waiting times, language and whether the services exist at all.

More terms: Measuring Health and Disease

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.