Dataset Information

Effects of a four-year health systems intervention on the use of maternal and infant health services: results from a programme evaluation in two districts of rural Chad.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Attendance of maternal and infant care services in rural Chad are consistently low. Our study aimed to assess the use of antenatal (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) services, health facility delivery and infant health services after 4 years of a health systems intervention for improving the infrastructure, supplies, training and sensitization for maternal and infant health in two districts of rural Chad.

Methods

Data from a repeated cross-sectional household survey conducted in Yao and Danamadji in 2015 and in 2018 were analyzed. A stratified two-stage cluster sampling methodology was applied to achieve a representative sample of the rural settled and mobile population groups in the study area. A generalized linear model was applied to determine the health care utilization rates. Multivariate regression models were used to assess the association between the programme intervention and utilization outcomes of selected maternal and infant health services.

Results

Complete datasets were available for 1284 households at baseline. The endline analysis included 1175 households with complete survey data. The use of at least one ANC amongst pregnant women increased in both settled communities (from 80% in 2015 to 90% in 2018) and amongst mobile pastoralist communities (from 48% in 2015 to 56% in 2018). The rate of home delivery among settled communities and mobile pastoralists changed little between baseline and endline and remained high for both population groups. Individuals that were covered by the health systems intervention were however significantly more likely to attend ANC and less likely to give birth at home. PNC services only showed improvements amongst the settled communities (of 30%). Infants' reported health outcomes and vaccination coverage considerably improved; the latter especially among mobile pastoralist (from 15% in 2015 to 84% in 2018).

Conclusion

A combination of health systems strengthening interventions was associated with an increased use of certain maternal and infant health services. However, to facilitate equitable access to and use of health care services in particular in times of increased vulnerability and by certain population groups in hard-to-reach areas, reinforced health education and culturally adapted communication strategies, including gender-specific messaging will be needed over a sustained period.

SUBMITTER: Erismann S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8684686 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundRecent analyses show that donor funding for child health is increasing, but little information is available on actual costs to deliver child health care services. Understanding how unit costs scale with service volume in Malawi can help planners allocate budgets as health services expand.MethodsData on facility level inputs and outputs were collected at 24 health centres in four districts of Malawi visiting a random sample of government and a convenience sample of Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) health centres. In the cost function, total outputs, quality, facility ownership, average salaries and case mix are used to predict total cost. Regression analysis identifies marginal cost as the coefficient relating cost to service volume intensity.ResultsThe marginal cost per patient seen for all health centres surveyed was US$ 0.82 per additional patient visit. Average cost was US$ 7.16 (95% CI: 5.24 to 9.08) at government facilities and US$ 10.36 (95% CI: 4.92 to 15.80) at CHAM facilities per child seen for any service. The first-line anti-malarial drug accounted for over 30% of costs, on average, at government health centres. Donors directly financed 40% and 21% of costs at government and CHAM health centres, respectively. The regression models indicate higher total costs are associated with a greater number of outpatient visits but that many health centres are not providing services at optimal volume given their inputs. They also indicate that CHAM facilities have higher costs than government facilities for similar levels of utilization.ConclusionsWe conclude by discussing ways in which efficiency may be improved at health centres. The first option, increasing the total number of patients seen, appears difficult given existing high levels of child utilization; increasing the volume of adult patients may help spread fixed and semi-fixed costs. A second option, improving the quality of services, also presents difficulties but could also usefully improve performance.

Project description:BackgroundMaternal mortality rates are still unacceptably high in many countries, indicating violation of women´s human right to life and health. Access to adequate information about maternal health rights and available services are essential aspects of realizing women´s right to accessible health care. This study aimed at assessing awareness of the right to access maternal health services among women who had recently given birth, and the association between such awareness and the utilization of maternal health services in two districts in Tanzania.MethodsThis study was cross sectional in design. Interviews were conducted with women who gave birth within one year prior to the survey in two different district councils (DC) namely Hai DC and Morogoro DC, selected purposively based on the earlier reported rates of maternal mortality. We used a two-stage cluster sampling to select the study sample. Analysis employed Chi-square test and Logistic regression.ResultsA total of 547 respondents were interviewed. Only a third (34.4%) reported to be aware of their right to access maternal health services. Main sources of information on maternal health rights were the media and health care providers. Occupation and education level showed a statistically significant association with awareness of access rights. Hai DC had higher proportion of women aware of their access rights compared to Morogoro DC. Women who were aware of their right of access were almost 5 times more likely to use skilled birth attendants compared to those who were not (AOR 4.61 95% CI: 2.14-8.57).Conclusion and recommendationsAwareness of the right to access maternal health services was low in the studied population. To increase awareness and hence uptake of Pregnancy care and skilled birth attendants at delivery we recommend the government and partners to prioritize provision of information, communication and education on women´s human rights, including the right to access maternal health services, especially to women in rural areas.

Project description:BackgroundGood nutrition and healthy growth during the first 1000days have lasting benefit throughout life. For this, equally important is the structural readiness of health facilities. However, structural readiness and nutrition services provision during the first 1000 days in Ethiopia is not well understood. The present study was part of a broader implementation research aimed at developing model nutrition districts by implementing evidence based, high impact and cost-effective package of nutrition interventions through the continuum of care. This study was aimed at assessing structural readiness of health facilities and the extent of nutrition service provision in the implementation districts.MethodsThis assessment was conducted in four districts of Ethiopia. We used mixed method; a quantitative study followed by qualitative exploration. The quantitative part of the study addressed two-dimensions, structural readiness and process of nutrition service delivery. The first dimension assessed attributes of context in which care is delivered by observing availability of essential logistics. The second dimension assessed the service provision through direct observation of care at different units of health facilities. For these dimensions, we conducted a total of 380 observations in 23 health centers and 33 health posts. The observations were conducted at the Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses unit, immunization unit, Antenatal care unit and Postnatal care unit. The qualitative part included a total of 60 key informant interviews with key stakeholders and service providers.ResultWe assessed structural readiness of 56 health facilities. Both quantitative and qualitative findings revealed poor structural readiness and gap in nutrition services provision. Health facilities lack essential logistics which was found to be more prominent at health posts compared to health centers. The process evaluation showed a critical missed opportunity for anthropometric assessment and preventive nutrition counselling at different contact points. This was particularly prominent at immunization unit (where only 16.4% of children had their weight measured and only 16.2% of mothers with children under six month of age were counselled about exclusive breastfeeding). Although 90.4% of pregnant women who came for antenatal care were prescribed iron and folic acid supplementation, only 57.7% were counselled about the benefit and 42.4% were counselled about the side effect. The qualitative findings showed major service provision bottlenecks including non-functionality of the existing district nutrition coordination body and technical committees, training gaps, staff shortage, high staff turnover resulting in work related burden, fatigue and poor motivation among service providers.ConclusionWe found a considerable poor structural readiness and gaps in delivering integrated nutrition services with a significant missed opportunity in nutrition screening and counselling. Ensuring availability of logistics and improving access to training might improve delivery of nutrition services. In addition, ensuring adequate human resource might reduce missed opportunity and enable providers to provide a thorough preventive counselling service.

Project description:BackgroundMaternal health services are affected by complex factors from one setting to another. Consequently, health planners should prioritize different interventions and design appropriate programs to enhance maternal health services utilization. Results of prior studies are conflicting. Furthermore, only few studies were done from antenatal to postnatal continuum of care in Ethiopia.ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess prevalence and predictors of skilled maternal health services utilization at Dale-Wonsho health and demographic surveillance site of the Hawassa University, South Ethiopia, in 2019.MethodsA community based cross sectional study was conducted from January 1-30; 2019. A total of 682 women who gave birth in the last twelve months were selected by using a two stage sampling technique. Data were collected through face to face interview. Data were entered into Epidata version 3.1. Then, they were exported and analyzed by SPSS version 22. Bi-variable logistic regression analysis was done and variables with p-value less than 0.05 were considered as candidate for multivariable logistic regression analysis. Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) with 95% CI were computed, and p-value less than 0.01 was computed to determine the level of significance.ResultPrevalence of antenatal care, institutional delivery and postnatal care utilizations were 69.1%, 52.1% and 32.7% respectively. Educated women (AOR = 4.72, 95%CI,2.82,7.9), household training (AOR = 8.52,95%CI = 5.5,13.1), middle wealth quantile(AOR = 0.8,95%CI,0.4-0.7), being richest wealth quantile (AOR = 0.16;95%CI = 0.06,0.41) and pregnancy plan (AOR = 3.65,95%CI,1.67-8.0) were factors positively associated with antenatal care utilization. Husband education (AOR = 4.96,95CI,3.08-8.0), and antenatal care (AOR = 5.9; 95%CI,3.87,9.1) were factors associated with institutional delivery. Maternal education (AOR = 2.5,95CI,1.4-4.4), information about postnatal care service utilization (AOR = 3.6,95CI,2.1,6.2) and women autonomy(AOR = 6.1,95CI,3.8,9.7) were positively associated with postnatal care service.ConclusionPrevalence of antenatal care, institutional delivery and postnatal care services were lower than the targeted plan. Policy makers should focus on capacity building of women both economically and academically. So, women should be more autonomous to utilize health services effectively. Moreover, awareness creation among women should be enhanced about maternal health service.

Project description:BackgroundEffective referral systems from the community to the health care facility are essential to save lives and ensure quality and a continuum of care. The effectiveness of referral systems in Mozambique depends on multiple factors that involve three main stakeholders: clients/community members; community health workers (CHWs); and facility-based health care workers. Each stakeholder is dependent on the other and could form either a barrier or a facilitator of referral within the complex health system of Mozambique.MethodsThis qualitative study, aiming to explore barriers and enablers of referral within the lens of complex adaptive health systems, employed 22 in-depth interviews with CHWs, their supervisors and community leaders and 8 focus group discussion with 63 community members. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and read for identification of themes and sub-themes related to barriers and enablers of client referrals. Data analysis was supported by the use of NVivo (v10). Results were summarized in narratives, reviewed, discussed and adjusted.ResultsAll stakeholders acknowledged the centrality of the referral system in a continuum of quality care. CHWs and community members identified similar enablers and barriers to uptake of referral. A major common facilitator was the existence of referral slips to expedite treatment upon reaching the health facility. A common barrier was the failure for referred clients to receive preferential treatment at the facility, despite the presence of a referral slip. Long distances and opportunity and transport costs were presented as barriers to accessibility and affordability of referral services at the health facility level. Supervisors identified barriers related to use of referral data, rather than uptake of referral. Supervisors and CHWs perceived the lack of feedback as a barrier to a functional referral system.ConclusionsThe barriers and enablers of referral systems shape both healthcare system functionality and community perceptions of care. Addressing common barriers to and strengthening the efficiency of referral systems have the potential to improve health at community level. Improved communication and feedback between involved stakeholders - especially strengthening the intermediate role of CHWs - and active community engagement will be key to stimulate better use of referral services and healthcare facilities.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Empirical evidence suggests that the uptake of maternal and child health (MCH) services is still low in poor rural areas of China. There is concern that this low uptake may detrimentally affect child health outcomes. Previous studies have not yet identified the exact nature of the impact that a conditional cash transfer (CCT) has on the uptake of MCH services and, ultimately, on child health outcomes. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between CCT, uptake of MCH services, and health outcomes among children in poor rural areas of western China. METHODS:We designated two different sets of villages and households that were used as comparisons against which outcomes of the treated households could be assessed. In 2014, we conducted a large-scale survey of 1522 households in 75 villages (including 25 treatment and 50 comparison) from nine nationally designated poverty counties in two provinces of China. In each village, 21 households were selected based on their eligibility status for the CCT program. Difference-in-difference analyses were used to assess the impact of CCT on outcomes in terms of both intention-to-treat (ITT) and average-treatment-effects-on-the-treated (ATT). RESULTS:Overall, the uptake of MCH services in the sample households were low, especially in terms of postpartum care visits, early breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, and physical examination of the baby. The uptake of the seven types of MCH services in the CCT treatment villages were significantly higher than that in the comparison villages. The results from both the ITT and ATT analyses showed that the CCT program had a positive, although small, impact on the uptake of MCH services and the knowledge of mothers of MCH health issues. Nonetheless, the CCT program had no noticeable effect on child health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:The CCT program generated modest improvements in the uptake of MCH services and mothers' knowledge of MCH services in poor rural areas of Western China. These improvements, however, did not translate into substantial improvements in child health outcomes for two potential reasons: poor CCT implementation and the low quality of rural health facilities.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The use of maternal health services can markedly promote the maternal health and safety, but there has been a low utilization rate in the ethnic rural areas of western China. Furthermore, the correlated factors have not been well studied. This study aims to assess factors related to the use of maternal health services among women in these areas. METHODS:A cross-sectional study of 68 villages in China's western Sichuan province was conducted in September 2014. All qualifying women from each sample village were involved. A structured questionnaire was administrated in households through face-to-face interviews by trained enumerators to obtain information of use of maternal health services and related factors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate the direct and indirect relationships between use of maternal health services and correlated factors. RESULTS:A total of 760 women from 68 villages were enrolled. The proportion of antenatal care (ANC), hospital delivery and postpartum visits were 68.94, 48.29 and 28.42% respectively. The SEM analysis demonstrated that social economic status (SES) (?=?-?0.75, ?<?0.01), ANC (?=0.13, ?<?0.01), and time from home to the nearest hospital (?=?-?0.09, ?<?0.05), were positively correlated to hospital delivery and postpartum care visits, while maternal care knowledge and perceived quality of hospital care did not have direct correlation. For ANC, SES (?=?-?0.36, ?<?0.01), time from home to the nearest hospital (?=?-?0.13, ?<?0.05), knowledge on maternal care (?=0.12, ?<?0.01) and perceived quality of hospital care (?=0.10, ?<?0.01) were all directly correlated factors. Treating ANC as an intermediate variable showed the indirect relationship that perceived quality of hospital care (?=0.01, ?<?0.01) and maternal care knowledge (?=0.02, ?<?0.01) had with hospital delivery and postpartum care rates. CONCLUSIONS:Use of maternal health services is low among women in ethnic rural areas. ANC has important direct and intermediate effects on subsequent use of hospital delivery and postpartum care. Improving ANC behavior should be a priority of maternal health care reforms. Given the long travel times for these women, reforms must also prioritize breaking down practical barriers that prevent this population from accessing care.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of 2008 show that Ondo State had the worst maternal outcomes in the South Western region of Nigeria. To address this problem, the "Abiye" (safe motherhood) programme-which included community engagement, health system strengthening and user fee removal- was implemented by the state government. We assessed the use of maternal health care services and its determinants at 5 years after the implementation of this programme using a population-based survey. We also compared the results of our survey to the NDHS 2013 to assess improvement in maternal health care services utilisation. METHODS:We conducted a population-based survey in 2016 among representative sample of 409 women who had given birth between 2011 and 2015, which were selected using cluster random sampling. We compared the findings of this 2016 survey to the 2013 NDHS, which contains maternal health care services utilisation information of a total of 434 women who gave birth between 2009 and 2013 to assess progress in the use of maternal health care services. We used descriptive and inferential statistics for our data analysis. RESULTS:In the 2013 NDHS survey, about 80% of women received antenatal care compared to 98% in the 2016 survey. Our survey shows that the majority of births (85.6%) took place in health facilities compared to only 56.5% in NDHS 2013 survey, which represents a 29.1 percentage points increase. In both surveys, women with primary level of education or less had lower odds of delivering their babies in health facilities. However, while the 2013 NDHS survey shows that women who resided in urban areas were twice more likely to deliver their babies in health facilities compared to those living in rural areas, the 2016 survey shows that urban residence was no longer significantly associated with a higher odds of facility-based child delivery. CONCLUSION:Maternal health services utilisation has improved considerably following the implementation of the "Abiye" initiative. The findings of this study suggest that with community engagement, health system strengthening and user fee removal for the most vulnerable, universal access to and utilisation of maternal health services is possible.