Prevalence of errors in medical certification of maternal deaths in Zambia using a retrospective analysis of maternal death surveillance and response data from 2018 to 2022

Data on maternal mortality (MM) from many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, are still not reliable partly due to inappropriate application of World Health Organisation International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (WHO ICD) - MM. The WHO ICD - MM classification is essential for boosting the quality of MM reporting and increasing international comparability. This process is intended to enhance MM data reporting and make it easier to code the classification of causes of maternal death, leading to improved interventions and policy decisions aimed at improving maternal health outcomes. This study was conducted to ascertain errors in medical certification of the cause of death (MCCD) of maternal deaths by analyzing data from the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) database at the Ministry of Health of Zambia.