Outside the usual rangeMay 2021Maternal and child
Tamil Nadu: maternal deaths reported in May 2021 was 185, above the 4-year median of 63 for the same month (+196%).
What happened
- May 2021
- 185
- 4-year median
- 63
- Change
- +123
- Change, per cent
- +196%
Why it matters
The value is judged against the median of the same period in up to five earlier years, using a robust measure of spread. A breach means this period sits well outside what those years would lead you to expect.
For maternal deaths reported, neither a rise nor a fall is better in itself, so the observatory marks this movement as unusual rather than good or bad.
Historical context
Same-period values: 2020 71, 2019 54, 2018 45, 2017 87. This comparison involves the COVID-19 disruption period (March 2020 – June 2021), when service use and reporting fell sharply.
The underlying data
| Period | Value | Release | Where in the document |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | 185 | HMIS item-wise monthly report, All India across states, May 2021 (FY 2021-22, provisional) | 2021-2022(Data is Provisional)/A.MonthWise/B-May.xlsx: '16.5.1' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Bleeding + '16.5.2' Number of Maternal Deaths due to High fever + '16.5.3' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Abortion + '16.5.4' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Obstructed/prolonged labour + '16.5.5' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Severe hypertension/fits + '16.5.6' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Other Causes (including causes not known); column "Tamil Nadu", Total [(A+B) or (C+D)] |
| May 2020 | 71 | HMIS item-wise monthly report, All India across states, May 2020 (FY 2020-21, provisional) | 2020-2021(Data is Provisional)/A.MonthWise/B-May.xlsx: '16.5.1' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Bleeding + '16.5.2' Number of Maternal Deaths due to High fever + '16.5.3' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Abortion + '16.5.4' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Obstructed/prolonged labour + '16.5.5' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Severe hypertension/fits + '16.5.6' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Other Causes (including causes not known); column "Tamil Nadu", Total [(A+B) or (C+D)] |
| May 2019 | 54 | HMIS item-wise monthly report, All India across states, May 2019 (FY 2019-20, provisional) | 2019-2020.zip › 2019-2020/A.MonthWise/B - May.xls: '16.5.1' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Bleeding + '16.5.2' Number of Maternal Deaths due to High fever + '16.5.3' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Abortion + '16.5.4' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Obstructed/prolonged labour + '16.5.5' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Severe hypertesnion/fits + '16.5.6' Number of Maternal Deaths due to Other Causes (including causes not known); column "Tamil Nadu", Total [(A+B) or (C+D)] |
Source and method
More signals for maternal deaths reported in Tamil Nadu
- Tamil Nadu: 185 maternal deaths reported in May 2021, the most in the series, which begins April 2017.
- Tamil Nadu: maternal deaths reported rose to 185 in May 2021, against 71 a year earlier (+161%).
- Tamil Nadu: maternal deaths reported rose to 83 in August 2020, against 35 a year earlier (+137%).
- Tamil Nadu: 83 maternal deaths reported in August 2020, the most since November 2018.
- Tamil Nadu: 80 maternal deaths reported in June 2020, the most since November 2018.
- Tamil Nadu: 71 maternal deaths reported in May 2020, the most since November 2018.
Cite this
According to the India Health Observatory, Tamil Nadu: maternal deaths reported in May 2021 was 185, above the 4-year median of 63 for the same month (+196%). Source: Health Management Information System, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, HMIS item-wise monthly report, All India across states, May 2021 (FY 2021-22, provisional). https://indiahealthobservatory.com/signals/maternal-deaths-reported--tamil-nadu--2021-05--baseline_breach
See also Tamil Nadu and 185 in context.