scholarly journals Review of obstetric fistulas in a rural hospital in South-South Nigeria

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Aniefiok J. Umoiyoho ◽  
Aniekan M. Abasiattai ◽  
Okon E. Akaiso
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Obstetric Fistula ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Health Facilities

<em>Background</em>. Obstetric fistula is a devastating medical condition associated with adverse social, psychological and reproductive health consequences. This study was carried out to review the pattern of presentation and outcome of patients with obstetric fistulas in a rural health facility in South-South Nigeria. <em>Design and Method</em>. A retrospective review of case notes of 51 patients with obstetric fistula that were managed at the Family Life Center, Mbribit Itam, in Itu, Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. <em>Results</em>. During the study period, 51 obstetric fistulas were repaired in the hospital. The ages of the patients ranged from 15 to 50 years with median age of 25.8 years and modal age group of 21-30 years (45.1%). The majority of the patients were of low parity (72.5%), 56.9% had no formal education and 27.5% were traders. Thirty four patients (66.7%) had their fistulas for between 1 and 6 years, 19.6% of the patients had juxta-cervical fistulas, while eight (15.7%) had circumferential loss of the urethra. Thirty-seven (72.5%) of them where unbooked and thus had no antenatal care, while 4 (7.8%) booked and had antenatal care in conventional health facilities. Thirty-four patients (66.7%) remained dry twenty-one days after surgery, thirteen (23.5%) were still wet, while 4 patients (7.8%) had stress incontinence despite repair. <em>Conclusion</em>. Obstetric fistulas are found most commonly among young, poorly educated women of low parity who do not avail themselves of orthodox ANC in our environment. Government, community and religious leaders must make concerted efforts to ensure women obtain formal education and when pregnant, have access to emergency obstetric care even if resident in the rural areas. Government, relevant non-Governmental organisations, community leaders and health workers should through relevant health messages enlighten women in the community about obstetric fistulas and the dangers of delivering in unorthodox health facilities. More medical personnel should be trained as the first attempt at repair is the one that is most likely to succeed.

scholarly journals Utilization of Maternity Waiting Home (MWH) to Improve Access to Health Services: Systematic Literature Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-375
Author(s):  
Nuraina Nuraina
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Maternity Waiting Home ◽  
Improve Access

Maternity waiting home (MWH) is a home built in the compound or near to health facilities that provides standard medical and emergency obstetric care services. MWH is considered to be a key strategy to "bridge the geographical gap" in obstetric care between rural areas with poor access to equipped facilities, and urban areas where the services are available. This study aimed to systematically review the utilization of MWH to improve access to health service. The method of finding articles in this study was in the period 2014 to 2018, free full text, human species, and scholarly journals which were then identified using an electronic database from Pubmed, Proquest and Onesearch. Three articles were carried out with thematic analysis to identify the main points. Factors associated with the utilization of MWH included (1) Distance; (2) Complication during pregnancy; and (3) Income. Barrier in the utilization of MWH were (1) Inadequate number of room and postpartum bed; (2) Lack of water and sanitation facilities; and (3) Unavailable electricity. Partnership between health workers in rural facilities, stronger role of stakeholders, and a broader health system, were expected to increase the utilization of MWH.

scholarly journals Reaching health facilities in situations of emergency: qualitative study capturing experiences of pregnant women in Africa’s largest megacity

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas ◽  
Mobolanle Balogun ◽  
Ololade Wright ◽  
Babatunde Ajayi ◽  
Ibukun-Oluwa Omolade Abejirinde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Health Systems Strengthening ◽  
Night Time

Abstract Background The consequences of delays in travel of pregnant women to reach facilities in emergency situations are well documented in literature. However, their decision-making and actual experiences of travel to health facilities when requiring emergency obstetric care (EmOC) remains a ‘black box’ of many unknowns to the health system, more so in megacities of low- and middle-income countries which are fraught with wide inequalities. Methods This in-depth study on travel of pregnant women in Africa’s largest megacity, Lagos, is based on interviews conducted between September 2019 and January 2020 with 47 women and 11 of their relatives who presented at comprehensive EmOC facilities in situations of emergency, requiring some EmOC services. Following familiarisation, coding, and searching for patterns, the data was analysed for emerging themes. Results Despite recognising danger signs, pregnant women are often faced with conundrums on “when”, “where” and “how” to reach EmOC facilities. While the decision-making process is a shared activity amongst all women, the available choices vary depending on socio-economic status. Women preferred to travel to facilities deemed to have “nicer” health workers, even if these were farther from home. Reported travel time was between 5 and 240 min in daytime and 5–40 min at night. Many women reported facing remarkably similar travel experiences, with varied challenges faced in the daytime (traffic congestion) compared to night-time (security concerns and scarcity of public transportation). This was irrespective of their age, socio-economic background, or obstetric history. However, the extent to which this experience impacted on their ability to reach facilities depended on their agency and support systems. Travel experience was better if they had a personal vehicle for travel at night, support of relatives or direct/indirect connections with senior health workers at comprehensive EmOC facilities. Referral barriers between facilities further prolonged delays and increased cost of travel for many women. Conclusion If the goal, to leave no one behind, remains a priority, in addition to other health systems strengthening interventions, referral systems need to be improved. Advocacy on policies to encourage women to utilise nearby functional facilities when in situations of emergency and private sector partnerships should be explored.

scholarly journals Reaching health facilities in situations of emergency: Experiences of pregnant women in Africa’s largest megacity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas ◽  
Mobolanle Balogun ◽  
Ololade Wright ◽  
Babatunde Ajayi ◽  
Ibukun-Oluwa Abejirinde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Health Systems Strengthening ◽  
Night Time

AbstractTravel of pregnant women requiring emergency obstetric care (EmOC) to health facilities remains a ‘black box’ of many unknowns to the health system, more so in megacities which are fraught with wide inequalities. This in-depth study on travel of pregnant women in Africa’s largest megacity is based on interviews conducted between September 2019 and January 2020 with 47 women and 11 of their relatives who presented at comprehensive EmOC facilities in situations of emergency, requiring some EmOC services. Despite recognising danger signs, pregnant women are often faced with conundrums on “when”, “where” and “how” to reach EmOC facilities. While the decision-making process is a shared activity amongst all women, the available choice-options vary depending on socio-economic status. Women preferred to travel to facilities deemed to have “nicer” health workers, even if these were farther from home. Reported travel time ranged from 5-240 minutes in daytime and 5-40 minutes at night. Many women reported facing remarkably similar travel experiences, with varied challenges faced in the daytime (traffic congestion) compared to night-time (security concerns and scarcity of public transportation). This was irrespective of their age, socio-economic background, or obstetric history. However, the extent to which this experience impacted on their ability to reach facilities depended on their agency and support systems. Travel experience was better if they had their personal vehicle for travel at night, support of relatives or direct/indirect connections with senior health workers at comprehensive EmOC facilities. Referral barriers between facilities further prolonged delays and increased cost of travel for many women. If the goal to leave no one behind remains a priority, in addition to other health systems strengthening interventions, referral systems need to be improved, advocacy on policies to encourage women to utilise nearby functional facilities when in situations of emergency and private sector partnerships should be explored.

scholarly journals Perspectives of health workers on the referral of women with obstetric complications: a qualitative study in rural Sierra Leone

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e041746
Author(s):  
Ryan Proos ◽  
Hanna Mathéron ◽  
Jonathan Vas Nunes ◽  
Abdul Falama ◽  
Patricia Sery Kamal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Maternal Mortality ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Complications ◽  
Structured Interviews

ObjectivesSierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world. Timely and well-coordinated referrals are necessary to reduce delays in providing adequate care for women with obstetric complications. This study describes factors affecting timely and adequate referral of women with obstetric complications in rural areas of Sierra Leone as viewed by health workers in rural health facilities.DesignQualitative research with semi-structured interviews using open-ended questions. Data were analysed by systematic text condensation.SettingInterviews were held in nine peripheral health units in rural Sierra Leone.Participants19 health workers including nurses, midwives and clinical health officers participated in nine interviews.ResultsFrom the interviews, four major themes describing possible factors of delay in referral of women in need of emergency obstetric care emerged: (1) communication between healthcare workers; (2) underlying influences on decision-making; (3) women’s compliance to referral and (4) logistic constraints.Several factors in rural Sierra Leone are perceived to complicate timely and adequate referral of women in need of emergency obstetric care. Notable among these factors are fear among women for being referred and fear among healthcare workers for having maternal deaths or severe obstetric complications occurring at their own facilities. Furthermore, decision-making of healthcare workers whether to refer a woman or not is negatively influenced by a hierarchical culture with high power distance between healthcare workers.ConclusionFactors identified that complicate timely and adequate referral of women in need of emergency obstetric care must be considered in efforts to reduce maternal mortality. Possible interventions that may reduce delay in referral include increased communication by mobile phones between health workers for advice and feedback regarding referrals, involvement of influential stakeholders to increase women’s compliance to referral, and consistent use of standardised management protocols.

scholarly journals Experiences of Seeking Antenatal Care and Delivery Among Teenagers at Health Facilities in Kibuku District, Eastern Uganda

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert K Basaza ◽  
Josephine N Mawerere ◽  
Rebecca Namusana
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Teenage Pregnancy ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Teenage Girls ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
Eastern Uganda

Abstract Background: Uganda is ranked 14th out of 54 countries in Africa with the highest levels of teenage pregnancies. The teenage pregnancy rate in Kibuku District in 2016 was at 35.8%, higher than the average rate in Uganda (25%) and also above the average one for rural areas in Uganda which was at 27%. Unfortunately, there is limited information on the experiences of seeking antenatal care and delivery among teenagers in the district. Method: This paper explored what these teenagers experience when they seek services at health facilities in Kibuku district, Eastern Uganda. This study used a phenomenological design. Data was collected using in-depth interviews from pregnant teenagers aged 13-19 years, seeking antenatal care (ANC) or who had delivered. They were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data collected was thematically analyzed through coding.Results: Most teenage mothers know the importance of seeking ANC and delivering from a health facility. Unfortunately, only a few seek services early due to some experiences. These include personal experiences like financial constraints; interpersonal experiences like support they receive from the people they stay with who include husbands and parents, medication given, health workers’ attitude and health education given.Conclusion: The personal experiences of pregnant teenagers or those who had delivered at health facilities is that they knew the importance of seeking ANC and delivery at health facilities. The experiences with the health facilities also contributed to the seeking behavior of the teenage girls. For example, the comfort received by the girls at the facility, medication administered, the way they were treated by the health workers and the availability of utilities. The teenage girls need to be sensitized by health and social workers about the sensitive nature of their health when they are pregnant so that they are able to make personal decisions.

scholarly journals Determinants of antenatal care visits and their impact on the choice of birthplace among mothers in Uganda: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shallon Atuhaire ◽  
John Francis Mugisha
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Health Facility ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Cochrane Review ◽  
Maternal Health Services ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Sustainable Livelihood ◽  
Intrinsic Factors ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

Objective: The utilization of Antenatal Care (ANC) services to the recommended time by WHO is still low in developing countries. In Uganda, about 990,000 women become pregnant annually, 90 to 94% of whom attend at least the first ANC visit while 65% and 58% of them attend four or more times in urban and rural areas respectively with eventual health facility birth at about 62%, homebirth and TBA together at about 38%. The study determined antenatal care attendance and the mother’s choice of birthplace in Uganda. Materials and methods: Using electronic databases mainly Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed and African Journals Online, and journal articles of international Website, 70,195 articles were identified but only 19 met the Cochrane review inclusion criteria hence were reviewed. Results: Reviewed studies attribute a decline in antenatal care visits and subsequent choice of birthplace to institutional, demographic and socio-economic factors. The demographic factors are maternal age (mothers less than eighteen years are less likely to utilize maternal health services than those above), marital status, occupation, residency, distance from home to the health facility, and parity. The socio-economic factors are mothers’ and partners’ levels of education (less educated women and their partners are less likely to utilize ANC), household income which affects transportation and medical bills, cultural norms and taboos, patriarchy society, enrollment on ANC in the third trimester, and intrinsic factors of attending ANC such as obtaining ANC card to present in case of emergency. Institutional factors include quality of medical care, availability of logistics and supplies, and health workers’ influence in terms of attitude, referral, competences, and staffing. Conclusion: Pregnant women who attend ANC are more likely to deliver in the health facility than those who do not at all. To enable them to attend ANC to full term and have a health facility delivery, their empowerment for increased self-efficacy through education, sustainable livelihood training and provision of subsidized capital alongside partner involvement. The facilitation of health facilities would also attract them.

scholarly journals Factors affecting stillbirth: prospective study

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 939
Author(s):  
Balaji Jadhav ◽  
Shweta Avinash Khade ◽  
Ganesh Shinde ◽  
Shilpa Chandan
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Fetal Weight ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Medical Disorders ◽  
Number Of Births

Background: Stillbirth is defined by WHO as the birth of a baby with a birth weight of 500 gm or more, 22 or more completed weeks of gestation or a body length of 25 cm or more, who died before or during labour and birth.Methods: This was prospective observational study of factors affecting stillbirth was conducted in tertiary hospital for a period of 1 year from 1st June 2014 to 31st May 2015. During the study period, 200 parturient of gestational age 28 weeks or more and fetal weight 1000 gm or more with or without medical disorders were included.Results: The total number of births during study period was 11,951. Stillbirth rate in the present study was 16.73 per 1000 births. Most of stillbirths were seen in the antepartum period (76%) when compared to intrapartum period (24%). Maximum stillbirths occurred in gestational age of 36 weeks and above (52%) and fetal weight between 2001-2500 gm (27.50%). Patients with inadequate antenatal care, less than three visits had 86% stillbirths.Conclusions: Proper antenatal care, prompt referral services and availability of emergency obstetric care will provide a pivotal role for reduction of stillbirths.

scholarly journals Measuring the preparedness of health facilities to deliver emergency obstetric care in a South African district

PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. e0194576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siphiwe Bridget Pearl Thwala ◽  
Duane Blaauw ◽  
Freddie Ssengooba
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Health Facilities

Factors Influencing Choice of Delivery Place among Mothers in Rukungiri and Kanungu Districts, South Western Uganda: A Cross Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Mugambe ◽  
Habib Yakubu ◽  
Solomon Wafula ◽  
Tonny Ssekamatte ◽  
Simon Kasasa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Facility ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Facility ◽  
Facility Delivery ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Public Facility ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Western Uganda ◽  
Delivery Place

Abstract Background: Child birth in health facilities is generally associated with lower risk of maternal and neonatal mortality. However, in Uganda, little is known about factors that influence use of health facilities for delivery especially in rural areas. In this study, we examined the determinants of mothers’ decision of the choice of child delivery place in Western Uganda.Methods: Cross-sectional data was collected from 894 randomly-sampled mothers within the catchment of two private hospitals in Rukungiri and Kanungu districts. Data was collected on the place of delivery for the most recent child, mothers’ sociodemographic characteristics, health facility water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) status. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) for the determinants of mothers’ choice of delivery place as well as determinants for the choice of private versus public facility for delivery at 95% confidence intervals. Results: Majority of mothers (90.2%) delivered in health facilities. Non-facility deliveries were attributed to fast progression of labour (77.3%), lack of transport (31.8%) and high cost of hospital delivery (12.5%). Being engaged in business as an occupation [APR = 1.06, 95% CI (1.01 – 1.11)] and belonging to the highest wealth quintile [APR = 1.09, 95% CI (1.02 – 1.17)] favoured facility delivery while higher parity of 3 – 4 [APR = 0.93, 95% CI (0.88 – 0.99)] was inversely associated with facility delivery as compared to parity of 1-2. Choice of private facility over public facility was influenced by how mothers valued factors such as high skilled health workers [APR = 1.15, 95% CI (1.05 – 1.26)], higher quality of WASH services [APR = 1.11, 95% CI (1.04 – 1.17)], cost of the delivery [APR = 0.85, 95% CI (0.78 – 0.92)] and availability of caesarean services [APR = 1.13, 95% CI (1.08 – 1.19)].Conclusion: Utilization of health facility child delivery services was high. Health facility delivery service utilization was influenced by engaging in business, belonging to wealthiest quintile and being multiparous. Choice of private versus public health facility for child delivery was influenced by health facility WASH status, cost of services, and availability of skilled workforce and caesarean services.

scholarly journals Prevalence, Indications, and Community Perceptions of Caesarean Section Delivery in Ngora District, Eastern Uganda: Mixed Method Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Isaac Waniala ◽  
Sandra Nakiseka ◽  
Winnie Nambi ◽  
Isaac Naminya ◽  
Margret Osuban Ajeni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Maternal Mortality Ratio ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Male Involvement ◽  
Community Perceptions ◽  
Caesarean Section Delivery ◽  
Eastern Uganda

Background. Uganda has a high maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 336/100,000 live births. Caesarean section is fundamental in achieving equity and equality in emergency obstetric care services. Despite it being a lifesaving intervention, it is associated with risks. There has been a surge in caesarean section rates in some areas, yet others remain underserved. Studies have shown that rates exceeding 15% do not improve maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Our study aimed at determining the prevalence, indications, and community perceptions of caesarean section delivery in Eastern Uganda. Methods and Materials. It was both health facility and commuity based cross-sectional descriptive study in Ngora district, Eastern Uganda. Mixed methods of data collection were employed in which quantitative data were collected by retrospectively reviewing all charts of all the mothers that had delivered at the two comprehensive emergency obstetric care service facilities between April 2018 and March 2019. Qualitative data were collected by focus group discussions till point of saturation. Data were entered into EpiData (version 3.1) and analyzed using SPSS software (version 24). Qualitative data analysis was done by transcribing and translating into English verbatim and then analyzed into themes and subthemes with the help of NVIVO 12. Results. Of the total 2573 deliveries, 14% (357/2573) were by CS. The major single indications were obstructed labour 17.9%, fetal distress 15.3%, big baby 11.6%, and cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD) 11%. Although appreciated as lifesaving for young mothers, those with diseases and recurrent intrauterine fetal demise, others considered CS a curse, marriage-breaker, misfortune, money-maker and a sign of incompetent health workers, and being for the lazy women and the rich civil servants. The rise was also attributed to intramuscular injections and contraceptive use. Overall, vaginal delivery was the preferred route. Conclusion. Several misconceptions that could hinder access to CS were found which calls for more counseling and male involvement. Although facility based, the rate is higher than the desired 5–15%. It is higher than the projected increase of 36% by 2021. It highlights the need for male involvement during counseling and consent for CS and concerted efforts to demystify community misconceptions about women that undergo CS. These misconceptions may be a hindrance to access to CS.

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