OB-GYN society launches tool kit to collect data on maternal mortality

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada is launching a tool kit to help health authorities review maternal deaths.

The society is set to discuss the initiative aimed at determining the underlying causes of maternal mortality at a conference in Quebec City on Tuesday.

CEO Dr. Diane Francoeur says the program will allow provinces to share data anonymously and work together to identify national trends.

Chief scientific officer Dr. Jocelynn Cook said the tool kit will give health providers a standardized approach to review maternal deaths to allow for more in-depth and consistent data collection.

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Statistics Canada says the maternal mortality rate was 8.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018.

Francoeur says Canada needs to catch up to other countries in data collection to get a national picture of shifting patterns in maternal health.

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