scholarly journals Improved Water or Sanitation and Utilization of Maternal and Child Health Services in South Asia—An Analysis of Demographic Health Surveys

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7667
Author(s):  
Negar Omidakhsh ◽  
Ondine S. von Ehrenstein
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Antenatal Care ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Maternal And Child Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Skilled Attendant ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
And Child Health

Globally, many millions of people still lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. Here, we examined whether household availability of improved drinking water and sanitation, respectively, is associated with utilization of maternal and child health (MCH) services in South Asia. Demographic and Health Survey population-based data from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and Pakistan were used, restricted to women with a child aged 0–36 months (n = 145,262). Types of households’ water source and sanitation facilities were categorized based on the World Health Organization and UNICEF’s definitions of “improved” and “unimproved”. We applied logistic regressions to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for improved water and sanitation, respectively, in relation to reported antenatal care visits, having a skilled attendant at birth, and infant vaccination coverage, stratified by maternal education. Among lower educated women, access to improved water was associated with greater ORs for presence of a skilled attendant at delivery and their children having up-to-date immunizations (OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.42). Among lower and higher educated women, improved sanitation (vs. unimproved) was associated with greater ORs for having had adequate antenatal care visits (OR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.62, 1.88; OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.62, 1.80), and similarly for having had a skilled attendant at birth, and children with up-to-date immunizations. MCH services and water/sanitation should be addressed across sectors aiming at improvement of MCH.

Bridging the Gap: Supporting the Inclusion of More Fathers in Maternity Centers in Jamaica

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-166
Author(s):  
Cynthia Pitter ◽  
Mickelle Emanuel-Frith ◽  
Granville Pitter ◽  
Deborah Adedire Udoudo
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Woman ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Maternal Mortality ◽  
Maternal And Child Health ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Child Rearing ◽  
World Health ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
And Child Health

The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) plan of action called for the equal participation of women and men in all areas of family and household responsibility, including family planning, child-rearing, and household chores. This plan of action admonished government to promote and facilitate such participation. The emerging trend to include fathers in maternal and child health services motivated low- to middle-income countries including Jamaica to sign on to global initiatives such as the ICPD and the Sustainability Development Goals for maternal and paternal involvement in the reduction of maternal mortality rates. However, lack of proper infrastructure in the public health system in countries like Jamaica does not sufficiently accommodate fathers during antenatal, childbirth, and postnatal services, neither does it has far reaching programs targeting fathers. This oversight in maternity care is partially due to the lack of guidelines to lead the process, limited space at clinics, and inadequate privacy on some delivery suites.Addressing the gaps to involve more fathers in pregnancy and child-rearing is an unexplored opportunity or innovative strategy that could assist Jamaica in meeting its international obligations to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates. This could also lessen the burden of childbearing and child-rearing on women, while changing the narrative of the negative stereotypes of fatherhood to a positive one in Jamaica. Research has also shown that several undesirable situations are preventable if the pregnant woman gets social and psychological backing, not only from excellent maternal and child health care but also by a social system, particularly from the spouse of the pregnant woman (World Health Organization, 2007).

scholarly journals Distance, difference in altitude and socioeconomic determinants of utilisation of maternal and child health services in Ethiopia: a geographic and multilevel modelling analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e042095 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atkure Defar ◽  
Yemisrach B. Okwaraji ◽  
Zemene Tigabu ◽  
Lars Åke Persson ◽  
Kassahun Alemu
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Health Facility ◽  
Maternal And Child Health ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Distance Difference ◽  
Sick Children ◽  
And Child Health

ObjectiveWe assessed whether geographic distance and difference in altitude between home to health facility and household socioeconomic status were associated with utilisation of maternal and child health services in rural Ethiopia.DesignHousehold and health facility surveys were conducted from December 2018 to February 2019.SettingForty-six districts in the Ethiopian regions: Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples.ParticipantsA total of 11 877 women aged 13–49 years and 5786 children aged 2–59 months were included.Outcome measuresThe outcomes were four or more antenatal care visits, facility delivery, full child immunisation and utilisation of health services for sick children. A multilevel analysis was carried out with adjustments for potential confounding factors.ResultsOverall, 39% (95% CI: 35 to 42) women had attended four or more antenatal care visits, and 55% (95% CI: 51 to 58) women delivered at health facilities. One in three (36%, 95% CI: 33 to 39) of children had received full immunisations and 35% (95% CI: 31 to 39) of sick children used health services. A long distance (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.57; 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.96) and larger difference in altitude (AOR=0.34; 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.59) were associated with fewer facility deliveries. Larger difference in altitude was associated with a lower proportion of antenatal care visits (AOR=0.46; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.74). A higher wealth index was associated with a higher proportion of antenatal care visits (AOR=1.67; 95% CI: 1.02 to 2.75) and health facility deliveries (AOR=2.11; 95% CI: 2.11 to 6.48). There was no association between distance, difference in altitude or wealth index and children being fully immunised or seeking care when they were sick.ConclusionAchieving universal access to maternal and child health services will require not only strategies to increase coverage but also targeted efforts to address the geographic and socioeconomic differentials in care utilisation, especially for maternal health.Trial registration numberISRCTN12040912.

Child Saving and Child Spacing in Africa: The Evolution of a Concept

1973 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 765-768
Author(s):  
Robert D. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Maternal And Child Health ◽  
Child Death ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Tropical Africa ◽  
Low Visibility ◽  
Child Spacing ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Child Health

In tropical Africa the primordial presence of enormous young child death rates precludes a successful frontal attack on birth rates through specialized programs. Experience in Nigeria indicates that gradual, quiet pressure can influence the power structure to tolerate and eventually espouse child spacing as an integral part of a program of services for child saving. The approach involves four phases: a low visibility start; obtaining high level acceptance; establishment of a federal training center to train cadres for state training programs; and deployment of trained primary care auxiliaries as a local maternal and child health-family planning service. In tropical Africa governmental attitudes toward family planning range from positive policy, to neutrality, to strong opposition. At present most Anglophone countries are favorable. Most Francophone countries are opposed. The general trend is toward a more favorable attitude toward family planning when it is a part of maternal and child health services.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document