MATERNAL DEATH REVIEWS: A RETROSPECTIVE CASE SERIES OF REPORTED CASES IN SABAH, MALAYSIAN BORNEO FROM 2015-2020

Women's life expectancy in Sabah for 2010 was 78.3 years, declining by 2.3 years to 76 years in 2020. Women's life expectancy is intrinsically linked to maternal and child health. All other states in Malaysia recorded rising life expectancies for both women and men except for Sabah, which is the country's poorest state with the highest non-citizen population. This study aimed to understand the demography, case characteristics and causes of maternal mortality in Sabah from 2015 through 2020. Data analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel. A total of 371 maternal deaths were reviewed. The mean age of the women who died was 30 years, and the majority (20.2%) were gravida 2. 72.78% were non-citizens of Malaysia, with 26.95% Malaysian citizens. Majority of deceased women, 56.7%, never attended antenatal visits prior to their death in the latest pregnancy. Overall, 63.88% deaths were due to direct obstetric causes, postpartum haemorrhage was the leading direct cause of death (24.53%), and most of the maternal deaths (65.5%) were preventable. There is evidence that further emphasized the importance of increasing access towards quality antenatal care and skilled birth attendants during delivery, especially for non-citizens of Malaysia. This which calls for intersectoral collaboration to ensure affordable, quality antenatal, delivery and family planning services for non-citizens of Malaysia. Increasing health promotion regarding the importance of attending antenatal visits is imperative to reduce maternal deaths.