A PROPOSAL ON UTILIZATION OF ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES DURING PREGNANCY AND BIRTH OUTCOMES IN ANY COUNTRY

Abstract

This study will be on utilization of essential health services during pregnancy and birthday outcome in Lagos. Three objectives will be raised which included; To find out the effect of educational status of a pregnant woman on utilization of essential health service in Nigeria, to find out effect of socioeconomic factor of the pregnant woman on utilization of essential health services in Nigeria and To find out the age factor of the pregnant woman on the utilization of essential health services in Nigeria. The method of data analysis that will be used by the researcher is the mean and standard deviation. Multi-stage sampling procedure will be adopted. In data analysis, adequate statistics will be employed. Representations of the level of responses will be made in tabular form.

Chapter one

Introduction

1.1Background of the study

Improved maternal health is an important pre-requisite for women’s advancement, yet due to low access and utilization of maternal healthcare, women, especially those in rural communities remain vulnerable and underserved. It is evident that the past decade has observed a dramatic improvement in the health of mothers, owing to improved maternal and childcare, nutritional practices and increased availability of low-cost and high impact public health measures such as Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) and vaccine for mothers/children. According to the world health organization (WHO), specific interventions such as iron or folic supplementation for pregnant and postpartum women, vitamin A supplementation for children and postpartum women, malaria prophylaxis intervention such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), as well as Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) and dietary supplementation for pregnant or lactating mothers, have helped improve maternal and child healthcare (WHO, 2018)

In spite of these developments, more than half a million women die during pregnancy or childbirth or within a few weeks of delivery, with most of them living in developing countries. These have been partly attributed to the low utilization of essential maternal healthcare services, and are also influenced by social, economic, and cultural factors as well as healthcare availability and accessibility. In limited-resource settings, pregnant women do not receive the full benefits of maternal health services, with the benefits waning towards the rural and deprived communities (Abouzahr C, Wardlaw T, 2004)

The assistance by a skilled birth attendant at delivery is also an important aspect of maternal care. Several babies or mothers are lost due to critical issues such as the inability to recognize delivery complications and ensuring quick referrals. Skilled delivery encompasses the presence of professionals (midwives, doctors, nurses, and others) during delivery. It also includes an enabling environment where the equipment, drugs and other supplies required for the effective and efficient management of obstetric complications are available. The presence of skilled birth attendants (SBAs) in the community may help to reduce maternal mortality and this is regarded as, probably, one of the most critical interventions for reducing pregnancy-related deaths and disabilities in developing countries (Babalola S, 2009). Report from the WHO shows a 50% reduction of maternal mortality through the doubling of the proportion of births assisted by skilled professionals. However, the provision of skilled attendance during delivery is only possible in the presence of functioning health systems, which include adequately trained and motivated workers, well-equipped facilities, transportation, and rapid referral systems. These factors are underdeveloped, inadequate or nonresistant in most developing countries’ health systems (WHO, 2018)  Abandonment or lack of access to the health system at the time of delivery is poorly understood as there is a general absence of studies on the determinants of maternal health care utilization in Nigeria and their impact on birth outcomes. Based on this background of the researcher wants to investigate on utilization of essential health services during pregnancy and birth outcomes in Nigeria

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