Consequences of severe obstetric complications in Burkina Faso

Veronique Filippi, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Issiaka Sombie, IMMPACT
Katerini Storeng, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Melanie Akoum, Centre Muraz
Rasmane Ganada, Centre Muraz
Fatou Ouattara, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
Thomas Ouedraogo, Centre Muraz
Tom Marshall, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Nicolas Meda, Centre Muraz

This paper describes qualitative and quantitative findings relating to the social and economic consequences of severe obstetric complications (near-miss complications) for women in Burkina Faso. One hypothesis of a prospective cohort study examining the consequences of such morbidity is that women who have survived a near-miss complication are more likely to experience adverse social and economic consequences than women who have had uncomplicated birth experiences. We are recruiting a cohort of 1008 recently pregnant women from six health centres in Burkina Faso. The cohort will include women who have survived near-miss morbidity and have had a live birth delivery, a spontaneous or induced abortion, or stillbirth, and women who have had a normal delivery. We will explore measures of productivity, income, debt and quality of marital and other social relationships (including domestic violence) and social support.