1 Good vital registration
2 Alternative source
3 no nationally representative data
1 Less than 15%
2 15%-29.9%
3 30%-39.9%
4 40%-49.9%
5 50% and over
6 No data

Quality of data sources for maternal death (2015)

What does it mean ?

This indicator reflects coding for the source of maternal mortality data. As defined by the WHO, a value of '1' reflects good vital registration, '2' reflects other reliable source, and '3' reflects no nationally representative data.

Why does it matter ?

Part of the challenge in decreasing maternal mortality is accurately knowing when and where maternal deaths occur. This data is collected at the country level, with various sources of data between countries, including national vital registration, other reliable sources such as Demographic and Health Surveys, or no nationally representative data. This indicator reflects where such nationally representative data exist or don't exist. Until we know where all maternal deaths are occurring, we cannot make progress in reducing them.

How is it collected ?

These categories come from the World Health Organization's Trends in Maternal Mortality report. Group 1 indicates country estimates based on good civil registration data; Group 2 indicates modelled country estimates using available national data; and Group 3 indicates modelled country estimates where no national data are available on maternal mortality.

WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and World Bank (2014). Trends in Maternal Mortality 1990 – 2013

Out of Pocket Health Expenditure

What does it mean ?

This indicator is calculated by adding together all direct payments from every household to health care providers or pharmacists, as a proportion of the total health-related spending in a country. Out of pocket health expenditure is only part of private health spending, because it does not include private health insurance. Together, government, external and private health spending make up the total health care spending in a country.

Why does it matter ?

Out of pocket health expenditure is a core indicator measuring the equity of health systems and the extent to which access to health care depends on one's ability to pay. Certain households may not be able to fund health care expenses out of pocket, resulting in untreated health problems and lack of care. For others, unplanned health spending will impoverish their whole household as they may be forced borrow money, to sell their assets or pull their children out of school to afford the costs.

How is it collected ?

The preferred source of data for this indicator is a National Health Account, which is an internationally agreed method for collecting information about all financial flows related to health in a country. Where a recent National Health Account is not available, the WHO's health financing team collects similar information using technical contacts in-country and publicly available documents.

WHO World Health Statistics 2014. Estimates for 2012 http://apps.who.int/nha/database