This manual for strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks for maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR) aims to support various state actors in enhancing national MPDSR frameworks. This may involve applying existing laws and regulations to MPDSR, developing new laws or regulations, or amending current ones to establish a legal and regulatory mandate for the creation and implementation of MPDSR. This manual emphasizes the importance of a structured approach to monitoring and responding to maternal and perinatal deaths, aiming to enhance accountability — including legal accountability — to enable quality improvements, reduce preventable deaths and strengthen interventions to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes.
The manual is divided into three parts: Part 1 outlines the scope and objectives of MPDSR laws and regulations; Part 2 provides a checklist for assessing the quality of current or new laws, regulations, or policies; and Part 3 offers a step-by-step guide to undertaking such a legal and regulatory process.