The aim of the present study was to calculate maternal mortality rates by analyzing pregnancy-related death cases in Samsun over the last 20 years, to identify causes of death and preventability, and to examine the change over the years. The Samsun Provincial Health Directorate's pregnancy-related mortality data from 2002 to 2021 were examined retrospectively. Causes of maternal death were classified as direct, indirect, undecided, and incidental. The maternal mortality rate was calculated as the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Between 2002 and 2021, Samsun experienced a total of 344,324 live births juxtaposed with 79 pregnancy-related deaths. The computed maternal mortality rate is 19.16 per 100,000 live births across the two-decade span. Detailed analysis reveals that 30 deaths (38%) were attributable to direct causes, 31 (39.2%) to indirect causes, 13 (16.5%) were incidental, and 5 (6.3%) remained inconclusive post-autopsy. A breakdown of the direct causes unveils obstetric bleeding as the primary culprit (18.2%), trailed by cardiovascular diseases (13.6%). Moreover, incidental causes, represented by traffic accidents, account for a 7.6% fatality rate. While the observed decline in maternal deaths, particularly from preventable direct causes, over the previous twenty years signifies the efficacy of the instated health policies, the persistent mortality underscores the imperative for ongoing research and strategy recalibration. Identifying fluctuations in causative factors through comparative analyses is pivotal in strategizing future preventive studies on pregnancy-related deaths. The results advocate a pronounced emphasis on continuous professional development to curtail mortalities from avoidable sources, especially postpartum hemorrhage, thereby fortifying existing health policies with reinforced, data-driven interventions.
Key words: Health policies, pregnancy-related death, maternal mortality, maternal mortality rate
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