Dr. Heather Link starts a new series on Maternal Mortality by discussing what that even means and how we get those numbers.   feedback@obgyn.fm   Maternal mortality is a key indicator of a health system’s strength. Safe Motherhood Week. https://www.safemotherhoodweek.org/maternal-mortality-key-indicator-health-systems-strength/.Published October 30, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2018. Organization WH, Others. WHO guidance for measuring maternal mortality from a census. 2013. http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/87982. Knight M, Kenyon S, Brocklehurst P, et al. Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care Lessons learned to inform future maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2009-2012. 2014. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1464330/. Humphrey MD, Bonello MR, Chughtai A, Macaldowie A, Harris K & Chambers GM. Maternal Deaths in Australia 2008–2012. Maternal Deaths Series No. 5. Canberra: AIHW.; 2015. http://apo.org.au/system/files/55131/apo-nid55131-20636.pdf. Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System | Maternal and Infant Health | CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-mortality-surveillance-system.htm.Published August 7, 2018. Accessed August 27, 2018. New York State Maternal Mortality Review Report. https://www.health.ny.gov/community/adults/women/docs/maternal_mortality_review_2012-2013.pdf. Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) — MEASURE Evaluation. https://www.measureevaluation.org/prh/rh_indicators/womens-health/sm/maternal-mortality-ratio-mmr.Published November 23, 2010. Accessed October 8, 2018. Division of Reproductive Health, Family and Reproductive Health. The Sisterhood Method for Estimating Maternal Mortality. World Health Organization ; 1997. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/64007/WHO_RHT_97.28.pdf;jsessionid=ACC253E82A5392CD768522ABE2716AA7?sequence=1. Wilmoth JR, Mizoguchi N, Oestergaard MZ, et al. A New Method for Deriving Global Estimates of Maternal Mortality. Stat Politics Policy. 2012;3(2). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24416714. Maternal mortality - UNICEF DATA. UNICEF DATA. https://data.unicef.org/topic/maternal-health/maternal-mortality/.Accessed October 30, 2018. WHO, Department of Reproductive Health and Research. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2013. Estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, The World Bank and the United Nations Population Division. World Health Organization ; 2014. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/112697/WHO_RHR_14.13_eng.pdf;jsessionid=435F8C2D8482EF587423E845839727BC?sequence=1. Thaddeus S, Maine D. Too far to walk: maternal mortality in context. Soc Sci Med. 1994;38(8):1091-1110. Montagu D, Yamey G, Visconti A, Harding A, Yoong J. Where do poor women in developing countries give birth? A multi-country analysis of demographic and health survey data. PLoS One. 2011;6(2):e17155. Somé DT, Sombié I, Meda N. How decision for seeking maternal care is made--a qualitative study in two rural medical districts of Burkina Faso. Reprod Health. 2013;10:8. Scott S, Chowdhury ME, Pambudi ES, Qomariyah SN, Ronsmans C. Maternal mortality, birth with a health professional and distance to obstetric care in Indonesia and Bangladesh. Trop Med Int Health. 2013;18(10):1193-1201. Hanson C, Cox J, Mbaruku G, et al. Maternal mortality and distance to facility-based obstetric care in rural southern Tanzania: a secondary analysis of cross-sectional census data in 226 000 households. Lancet Glob Health. 2015;3(7):e387-e395. Lori JR, Starke AE. A critical analysis of maternal morbidity and mortality in Liberia, West Africa. Midwifery. 2012;28(1):67-72. Gwilliam F, Archondo-Callao B-G, Nogales S. Roads in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic AICD. 2008. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/938171468194345853/pdf/551050WP0p109210Box349439B01PUBLIC1.pdf. Amdd WUU. Monitoring Emergency Obstetric Care: A Handbook. World Health Organization; 2009. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstrea