Katerini T. Storeng|Susan F. Murray|Mélanie S. Akoum|Fatoumata Ouattara|Véronique Filippi
Beyond body counts: A qualitative study of lives and loss in Burkina Faso after ‘near-miss’ obstetric complications
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|University of Oslo|King's College London|AFRICSanté|Population Environment Development Laboratory|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
averting womens pregnancyrelated death today recognised international health development priority maternal survival sense success story however little research happens women survive severe obstetric complications main causes maternal mortality paper examines findings repeated indepth interviews 64 women survived clinically defined nearmiss interviews conducted part prospective longitudinal study women nearly died pregnancyrelated complications burkina faso poor country west africa drawing sociological anthropological perspectives consider defining characteristics loss social much biomedical paper seeks understand loss disruption familiar forms patterns life womens accounts lives year following nearmiss event show events blood loss seizures infections also household crisis available resources mobilised train physical economic social consequences paper argues nearmiss events characterised nearloss womans life also frequently loss baby significant disruptions three overlapping dimensions womens lives include disruption bodily integrity injury ongoing illness loss strength stamina disruption household economy high expenditure debts loss productive capacity disruption social identity social stability maternal health policy needs concerned averting loss life also preventing ameliorating others losses set motion obstetric crisis