Institutional delivery in Ethiopia: Alternative options for improvement

Maternal mortality is a critical healthcare system quality indicator and is measured by the number of maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births. Despite huge achievements towards reducing maternal mortality, the prevalence of maternal death remains unacceptably high in developing countries including Ethiopia. A recent study in Ethiopia reported a maternal mortality ratio of 857/100,000 live births. This high maternal mortality rate is partly due to the low Antenatal care (ANC) utilization and the institutional delivery rate. Which intern is associated with sociocultural, economic, health facility accessibility, and healthcare delivery-related factors. The risk of maternal and child death increases with home delivery which could be averted through the primary or secondary prevention of complications during delivery by skilled attendants. Institutional delivery can be promoted through practical strategies including empowering women via community education, increasing access to transportation, and staffing and capacity building