Social Autopsy for Maternal and Child Deaths: A Literature Review
Author Information
Author(s): Kalter Henry D, Salgado Rene, Babille Marzio, Koffi Alain K, Black Robert E
Primary Institution: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Hypothesis
How can social autopsy methods improve understanding and prevention of maternal and child deaths?
Conclusion
Social autopsy is an effective tool for raising awareness and providing actionable data to improve maternal and child health interventions.
Supporting Evidence
- Social autopsy combines interviews to identify social and health system factors contributing to deaths.
- Pathway Analysis format has been used in various studies across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
- Community-based maternal verbal/social autopsies have led to data-driven health interventions.
Takeaway
Social autopsy helps us understand why mothers and children die by looking at the social and health factors involved, so we can make things better.
Methodology
The review involved computerized searches of databases and manual searches of references to identify relevant studies on social autopsy.
Potential Biases
Potential for stigma affecting data accuracy and recall issues for past events.
Limitations
Many studies did not use representative samples, limiting the generalizability of findings.
Participant Demographics
Studies included various populations in developing countries, focusing on maternal and child deaths.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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