Maternal Mortality Review at Jos University Teaching Hospital: A Ten-Year Retrospective Analysis

Maternal mortality remains unacceptably high in Nigeria, which contributes approximately 20 percent of global maternal deaths, making facility-level mortality reviews essential for identifying preventable causes and driving quality improvement. This study conducts a ten-year retrospective review of maternal deaths at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. All maternal deaths occurring between 2014 and 2023 were identified from hospital death registers and case files. Data were extracted on cause of death, gestational age, parity, booking status, delay category using the three-delays model, and autopsy findings where available. A total of 148 maternal deaths were recorded, yielding a maternal mortality ratio of 842 per 100,000 live births. Haemorrhage (32 percent), eclampsia (26 percent), and sepsis (18 percent) were the leading causes. The third delay (delay in receiving adequate care at facility) was the most common contributing delay, identified in 61 percent of deaths. Unbooked status was documented in 58 percent of all maternal deaths. The study identifies systemic and clinical delays within JUTH as significant contributors to preventable maternal deaths. Recommendations include a structured maternal death surveillance and response system, regular perinatal audit meetings, obstetric haemorrhage and eclampsia management drills, and improved blood bank availability at JUTH. Keywords: maternal mortality, JUTH, haemorrhage, eclampsia, three-delays model