INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization estimates that about 580,000 women of reproductive age die each year from pregnancy-related complications, and a high proportion of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa (1). The ratio of maternal mortality in the region is one of the highest in the world, reaching levels of 686 per 100,000 livebirths (1). Women play a principal role in rearing children and in the management of family affairs, and their death due to maternity-related causes is a significant social and personal tragedy.
