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The objective of this scoping review is to uncover previous and current endeavors in integrating family planning with other sexual and reproductive health services. This undertaking will aid in the development of a unique approach for integrating family planning services by determining evidential support and explicitly defining the concept of integration in relation to family planning. Furthermore, the review will evaluate the research process for integration and identify factors that affect family planning uptake through integration experiences. The most suitable methodology to accomplish these objectives is by conducting a scoping review.

Background Despite progress made to improve access to child health services, mothers’ consistent utilization of these services has been constrained by several factors. This study is aimed at assessing the inequalities in key child health service utilization and assess the role of antenatal care (ANC) on subsequent service use. Method The analysis of the present study was based on the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys, a nationally representative sample of 10,641 children. A health service utilization score was constructed from the affirmative responses of six key child health interventions associated with the most recent birth: ANC service, delivery of the last child at health facilities, postnatal care services, vitamin A intake, iron supplementation and intake of deworming pills by the index child. A mixed effect Poisson regression model was used to examine the predictors of health service utilization and three separate mixed effect logistic regression models for assessing the role of ANC for continued use of delivery and postnatal care services. Results The results of mixed effect Poisson regression indicate that the expected mean score of health service utilization was lower among non-first birth order children, older and high parity women, those living in polygamous families and women living in households with no access to radio. The score was higher for respondents with better education, women who had previous experience of terminated pregnancy, residing in more affluent households, and women with experiences of mild to high intimate partner violence. Further analysis of the three key health services (ANC, delivery, and postnatal care), using three models of mixed effect logistic regression, indicates consistent positive impacts of ANC on the continuum of utilizing delivery and postnatal care services. ANC had the strongest effects on both institutional delivery and postnatal care service utilization. Conclusion The findings implicated that maternal and child health services appear as continuum actions/behavior where utilization of one affects the likelihood of the next service types. The study indicated that promoting proper ANC services is very beneficial in increasing the likelihood of mothers utilizing subsequent services such as delivery and postnatal care services.

Background The National Health Mission (NHM), the largest ever publicly funded health programme worldwide, used over half of the national health budget in India and primarily aimed to improve maternal and child health in the country. Though large scale public health investment has improved the health care utilization and health outcomes across states and socio-economic groups in India, little is known on the equity concern of NHM. In this context, this paper examines the utilization pattern and net benefit of public subsidy for institutional delivery by the level of care in India. Methods Data from the most recent round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 4), conducted during 2015–16, was used in the study. A total of 148,645 last birth delivered in a health centre during the 5 years preceding the survey were used for the analyses. Out-of-pocket (OOP) payment on delivery care was taken as the dependent variable and was analysed by primary care and secondary level of care. Benefits Incidence Analysis (BIA), descriptive statistics, concentration index (CI), and concentration curve (CC) were used to do the analysis. Results Institutional delivery from the public health centres in India is pro-poor and has a strong economic gradient. However, about 28% mothers from richest wealth quintile did not pay for delivery in public health centres compared to 16% among the poorest wealth quintile. Benefit incidence analyses suggests a pro-poor distribution of institutional delivery both at primary and secondary level of care. In 2015–16, at the primary level, about 32.29% of subsidies were used by the poorest, 27.22% by poorer, 20.39% by middle, 13.36% by richer and 6.73% by the richest wealth quintile. The pattern at the secondary level was similar, though the magnitude was lower. The concentration index of institutional delivery in public health centres was − 0.161 [95% CI, − 0.158, − 0.165] compared to 0.296 [95% CI, 0.289, 0.303] from private health centres. Conclusion Provision and use of public subsidy for institutional delivery in public health centres is pro-poor in India. Improving the quality of service in primary health centres is recommended to increase utilisation and reduce OOP payment for health care in India.

Background Mothers’ delivery care satisfaction is one of the indicators to monitor the quality of health care provision. However, there is only limited information in this regard in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the level of maternal satisfaction and the determinants among vaginal and cesarean section delivery care in Bahir Dar city health facilities. Methods Facility-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2018. Using systematic random sampling, a total of 896 recently delivered mothers were interviewed. The collected data were entered into the Epi-Data soft and then exported to SPSS Version 20.0 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed and Logistic regression model was used to identify the association between explanatory and outcome variables. Adjusted Odds Ratio with 95% CI was used to measure the strength of the association between these variables. The model fitness was checked using Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit (P > 0.05). A p-value p-value of Results A total of 894 recently delivered mothers participated in the study yielded a response of 99.8%. 448 (50.1%) mothers delivered vaginally whereas 446 (25.8%) via cesarean section. The overall mean age of respondents was 26.60 (± 4.88) years. The total maternal delivery care service satisfaction level was 61.4%. More mothers were satisfied with vaginal delivery care, 65.6% (95% CI: 56.97, 74.22%) than cesarean section, 57.2% (95% CI: 48.19, 66.2%). Maternal education, residence, current delivery care planned, maternal HIV status, the gender of health care provider and gave birth in a private health facility were significantly associated with vaginal delivery care satisfaction. Whereas, maternal education, residence, current delivery care planned, antenatal care attended, gender of health care provider was significantly associated with cesarean section delivery care satisfaction. Conclusions The overall maternal delivery care service satisfaction level was low as, per the national standard, and there is a great discrepancy in maternal satisfaction level between vaginal and cesarean section delivery care services.

Background Inequalities in access to health care result in systematic health differences between social groups. Interventions to improve health do not always consider these inequalities. To examine access to reproductive health care services in Ghana and Nigeria, the patterns of use of family planning and maternal care by women in these countries are explored. Methods We used population-level data from the Ghana and Nigeria Demographic Health Surveys of 2014 and 2013 respectively. We applied a two-step cluster analysis followed by multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results The initial two-step cluster analyses related to family planning identified three clusters of women in Ghana and Nigeria: women with high, medium and poor access to family planning services. The subsequent two-step cluster analyses related to maternal care identified five distinct clusters: higher, high, medium, low and poor access to maternal health services in Ghana and Nigeria. Multinomial logistic regression showed that compared to women with secondary/higher education, women without education have higher odds of poor access to family planning services in Nigeria (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.90–3.39) and in Ghana (OR = 1.257, 95% CI: 0.77–2.03). Compared to white-collar workers, women who are not working have increased odds of poor access to maternal health services in Nigeria (OR = 1.579, 95% CI: 1.081–2.307, p ≤ 0.01). This association is not observed for Ghana. Household wealth is strongly associated with access to family planning services and maternal health care services in Nigeria. Not having insurance in Ghana is associated with low access to family planning services, while this is not the case in Nigeria. In both countries, the absence of insurance is associated with poor access to maternal health services. Conclusions These differences confirm the importance of a focused context-specific approach towards reproductive health services, particularly to reduce inequality in access resulting from socio-economic status. Interventions should be focused on the categorization of services and population groups into priority classes based on needs assessment. In this way, they can help expand coverage of quality services bottom up to improve access among these vulnerable groups.

The private healthcare sector in low- and middle-income countries is increasingly seen as of public health importance, with widespread interest in improving private provider engagement. However, there is relatively little literature providing an in-depth understanding of the operation of private providers. We conducted a mixed methods analysis of the nature of competition faced by private delivery providers in Uttar Pradesh, India, where maternal mortality remains very high. We mapped health facilities in five contrasting districts, surveyed private facilities providing deliveries and conducted in-depth interviews with facility staff, allied providers (e.g. ambulance drivers, pathology laboratories) and other key informants. Over 3800 private facilities were mapped, of which 8% reported providing deliveries, mostly clustered in cities and larger towns. 89% of delivery facilities provided C-sections, but over half were not registered. Facilities were generally small, and the majority were independently owned, mostly by medical doctors and, to a lesser extent, AYUSH (non-biomedical) providers and others without formal qualifications. Recent growth in facility numbers had led to intense competition, particularly among mid-level facilities where customers were more price sensitive. In all facilities, nearly all payment was out-of-pocket, with very low-insurance coverage. Non-price competition was a key feature of the market and included location (preferably on highways or close to government facilities), medical infrastructure, hotel features, staff qualifications and reputation, and marketing. There was heavy reliance on visiting consultants such as obstetricians, surgeons and anaesthetists, and payment of hefty commission payments to agents who brought clients to the facility, for both new patients and those transferring from public facilities. Building on these insights, strategies for private sector engagement could include a foundation of universal facility registration, adaptation of accreditation schemes to lower-level facilities, improved third-party payment mechanisms and strategic purchasing, and enhanced patient information on facility availability, costs and quality.

Maternal mortality and its associated complications can be avoided by ensuring safe and supervised delivery. In this paper, the authors examined the factors associated with the utilisation of institutional delivery care at the Urban Primary Health Care Project (UPHCP) clinic in Bangladesh. A two-stage cluster sampling was used in selecting the ever-married women aged 15-49 years in the catchment areas of the UPHCP in Bangladesh. A total of 3,949 women’s data were analysed. The authors collected data through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was done to determine the potential factors associated with the utilisation of delivery care, in which ‘place of delivery care’ was considered as a dependent variable. Data entry and analysis were done in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.0. This study found that 30% of the women delivered their most recent child at the UPHCP clinic, and 45.9% of the women delivered their most recent child at other institutions. However, one-fifth of the women delivered at home. Doctors attended two-thirds of the deliveries. A small proportion of women were tended to by nurses, paramedics, FWV, and FWA. Traditional birth attendants attended one-fifth (20%) of deliveries. The multinomial logistic regression analysis found that respondents from poor catchment areas were 33.677 times more likely to utilise delivery care at the UPHCP when compared to 12.052 times by the respondents who took previous antenatal care from the non-poor catchment area. This study also found that women who had entitlement cards were 6.840 times more likely to utilise delivery care at the UPHCP in the poor catchment area, which was almost twice the women from the non-poor catchment area. Although the maternal mortality rate in Bangladesh has notably reduced,Bangladesh still needs to address the issue of safe delivery for marginalised women in order to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. A red card approach might increase access to the UPHCP for marginalised women to have safe deliveries.Keywords: poor, urban, red card, delivery care, Urban Primary Health Care Project, Bangladesh

The improvement of quality in maternity care services is an effective strategy to reduce maternal mortality. The utilisation of the maternity services and its satisfaction indirectly measure the quality of services. This study aimed to assess the level of satisfaction with delivery care and also to identify the factors influencing the satisfaction among women on the quality of delivery care services in Sarawak. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the three main zones of Sarawak, Malaysia. A total of 1236 completed data were analysed. Data was collected using the validated Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18, Short Form) by face to face interview. Data entry and analysis was done by SPSS version 22.0 software. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that Bidayuh ethnics were 28.6% less likely to have good satisfaction with delivery care than the other ethnic groups. The respondents were 1.806 times more likely to have the average satisfaction and 1.972 times more likely to have good satisfaction on delivery care if a doctor attended the latter. Similarly, the respondents were 2.29 times highly satisfied if the out of pocket expenses were less than MYR 91.50 (US $ 21.73) compared to 2.10 times in average satisfaction. Overall, the women were satisfied with the delivery care services. However, assessment of satisfaction with the services provided from the different level of health care professionals needs to be explored to gain a deeper understanding of maternal care.Keywords: Delivery Care, Level of satisfaction, Maternal Health Services, Sarawak.

Background Despite the reduction in maternal deaths globally, maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high, particularly in some regions of the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, maternal mortality rates have even increased recently, with 201,000 deaths in 2015 as compared to 179,000 in 2013. Use of a skilled birth attendant (SBA) at delivery has remained low, despite evidence of the effectiveness of SBAs in reducing maternal deaths. Women’s empowerment is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of maternal health care-seeking and outcomes, yet empirical examinations of the linkages between women’s empowerment and delivery care use are particularly limited, especially from sub-Saharan Africa. Methods Using data from the 2010 Senegal Demographic and Health Survey (n = 7451), in this study we employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the complex and multidimensional pathways by which three women’s empowerment domains (household decision-making, attitudes towards violence, and sex negotiation) directly and indirectly affect SBA use. Results Although variations were observed across measures, many of the women’s status and empowerment measures were positively related to SBA use. Notably, women’s education demonstrated a substantial indirect effect: higher education was related to older age at first marriage, which was associated with higher levels of empowerment and SBA use. In addition to age at first marriage, gender-role attitudes (e.g., progressive attitudes towards violence and sex negotiation) were significant mediators in the relationship between education and SBA use. However, household decision-making was not significantly associated with SBA use. Conclusions Findings indicate significant effects of women’s education, early marriage, and some dimensions of women’s empowerment on SBA use. SEM was particularly useful in examining the complex and multidimensional constructs of women’s empowerments and their effects. This study informs policy recommendations and programmatic efforts to reduce maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa by strengthening support for women’s access to higher education, delaying marriage and childbearing among girls and young women, and supporting more equitable gender norms. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-017-1499-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background The National Health Mission (NHM), one of the largest publicly funded maternal health programs worldwide was initiated in 2005 to reduce maternal, neo-natal and infant mortality and out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on maternal care in India. Though evidence suggests improvement in maternal and child health, little is known on the change in OOPE and catastrophic health spending (CHS) since the launch of NHM. Aim The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive estimate of OOPE and CHS on maternal care by public and private health providers in pre and post NHM periods. Data and method The unit data from the 60th and 71st rounds of National Sample Survey (NSS) is used in the analyses. Descriptive statistics is used to understand the differentials in OOPE and CHS. The CHS is estimated based on capacity to pay, derived from household consumption expenditure, the subsistence expenditure (based on state specific poverty line) and household OOPE on maternal care. Data of both rounds are pooled to understand the impact of NHM on OOPE and CHS. The log-linear regression model and the logit regression models adjusted for state fixed effect, clustering and socio-economic and demographic correlates are used in the analyses. Results Women availing themselves of ante natal, natal and post natal care (all three maternal care services) from public health centres have increased from 11% in 2004 to 31% by 2014 while that from private health centres had increased from 12% to 20% during the same period. The mean OOPE on all three maternal care services from public health centres was US$60 in pre-NHM and US$86 in post-NHM periods while that from private health center was US$170 and US$300 during the same period. Controlling for socioeconomic and demographic correlates, the OOPE on delivery care from public health center had not shown any significant increase in post NHM period. The OOPE on delivery care in private health center had increased by 5.6 times compared to that from public health centers in pre NHM period. Economic well-being of the households and educational attainment of women is positively and significantly associated with OOPE, linking OOPE and ability to pay. The extent of CHS on all three maternal care from public health centers had declined from 56% in pre NHM period to 29% in post NHM period while that from private health centres had declined from 56% to 47% during the same period. The odds of incurring CHS on institutional delivery in public health centers (OR .03, 95% CI 0.02, 06) and maternal care (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.04, 0.07) suggest decline in CHS in the post NHM period. Women delivering in private health centres, residing in rural areas and poor households are more likely to face CHS on maternal care. Conclusion NHM has been successful in increasing maternal care and reducing the catastrophic health spending in public health centers. Regulating private health centres and continuing cash incentive under NHM is recommended.

Over the past two decades, multilateral organizations have encouraged increased engagement with private healthcare providers in developing countries. As these efforts progress, there are concerns regarding how private delivery care may effect maternal health outcomes. Currently available data do not allow for an in-depth study of the direct effect of increasing private sector use on maternal health across countries. As a first step, however, we use demographic and health surveys (DHS) data to (1) examine trends in growth of delivery care provided by private facilities and (2) describe who is using the private sector within the healthcare system. As Asia has shown strong increases in institutional coverage of delivery care in the last decade, we will examine trends in six Asian countries. We hypothesize that if the private sector competes for clients based on perceived quality, their clientele will be wealthier, more educated and live in an area where there are enough health facilities to allow for competition. We test this hypothesis by examining factors of socio-demographic, economic and physical access and actual/perceived need related to a mother’s choice to deliver in a health facility and then, among women delivering in a facility, their use of a private provider. Results show a significant trend towards greater use of private sector delivery care over the last decade. Wealth and education are related to private sector delivery care in about half of our countries, but are not as universally related to use as we would expect. A previous private facility birth predicted repeat private facility use across nearly all countries. In two countries (Cambodia and India), primiparity also predicted private facility use. More in-depth work is needed to truly understand the behaviour of the private sector in these countries; these results warn against making generalizations about private sector delivery care.

Background To expand access to safe deliveries, some developing countries have initiated demand-side financing schemes promoting institutional delivery. In the context of conditional cash incentive scheme and free maternity care in public health facilities in India, studies have highlighted high out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) of Indian families for delivery and maternity care. In this context the study assesses the components of OOPE that women incurred while accessing maternity care in public health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, India. It also assesses the determinants of OOPE and the level of maternal satisfaction while accessing care from these facilities. Method It is a cross-sectional analysis of 558 recently delivered women who have delivered at four public health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, India. All OOPE related information was collected through interviews using structured pre-tested questionnaires. Frequencies, Mann-Whitney test and categorical regression were used for data reduction. Results The analysis showed that the median OOPE was INR 700 (US$ 11.48) which varied between INR 680 (US$ 11.15) for normal delivery and INR 970 (US$ 15.9) for complicated cases. Tips for getting services (consisting of gifts and tips for services) with a median value of INR 320 (US$ 5.25) contributed to the major share in OOPE. Women from households with income more than INR 4000 (US$ 65.57) per month, general castes, primi-gravida, complicated delivery and those not accompanied by community health workers incurred higher OOPE. The significant predictors for high OOPE were caste (General Vs. OBC, SC/ST), type of delivery (Complicated Vs. Normal), and presence of ASHA (No Vs. Yes). OOPE while accessing care for delivery was one among the least satisfactory items and 76 % women expressed their dissatisfaction. Conclusion Even though services at the public health facilities in India are supposed to be provided free of cost, it is actually not free, and the women in this study paid almost half of their mandated cash incentives to obtain delivery care.

IntroductionThere exist several barriers to maternal health service utilization in developingcountries. Most of the previous studies conducted in India have focused on demand-side barriers, while only a few have touched upon supply-side barriers. None of the previous studies in India have investigated the factors that affect maternal health care utilization at health sub-centers (HSCs) in India, despite the fact that these institutions, which are the geographically closest available public health care facilities in rural areas, play a significant role in providing affordable maternal health care. Therefore, this study aims to examine the supply-side determinants of maternal service utilization at HSCs in rural India.Data and MethodsThis study uses health facility data from the nationally representativeDistrict-Level Household Survey, which was administered in 2007–2008 to examine the effect of supply-side variables on the utilization of maternal health care services across HSCs in rural India. Since the dependent variables (the number of antenatal registrations, in-facility deliveries, and postnatal care services) are count variables and exhibit considerable variability, the data were analyzed using negative binomial regression instead of Poisson regression.ResultsThe results show that those HSCs run by a contractual auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) are likely to offer a lower volume of services when compared to those run by a permanent ANM. The availability of obstetric drugs, weighing scales, and blood pressure equipment is associated with the increased utilization of antenatal and postnatal services. The unavailability of a labor/examination table and bed screen is associated with a reduction in the number of deliveries and postnatal services. The utilization of services is expected to increase if essential facilities, such as water, telephones, toilets, and electricity, are available at the HSCs. Monitoring of ANM’s work by Village Health and Sanitation Committee (VHSC) and providing in-service training to ANM appear to have positive impacts on service utilization. The distance of ANM’s actual residence from the sub-center village where she works is negatively associated with the utilization of delivery and postnatal services. These findings are robust to the inclusion of several demand-side factors.ConclusionTo improve maternal health care utilization at HSCs, the government shouldensure the availability of basic infrastructure, drugs, and equipment at all locations. Monitoring of the ANMs’ work by VHSCs could play an important role in improving health care utilization at the HSCs; therefore, it is important to establish VHSCs in each sub-center village. The relatively low utilization of maternity services in those HSCs that are run solely by contractual ANMs requires further investigation.

ResumenEn este capítulo revisaremos cuatro importantes hitos en la salud preventiva de la mujer.Veremos las recomendaciones actuales de manejo del embarazo y atención del parto con los derechos de la mujer y las prácticas médicas recomendadas.Analizaremos los derechos reproductivos de la mujer y el viraje hacia la anticoncepción hormonal. El cáncer cervicouterino sigue siendo una patología prevalente y veremos como los programas de prevención son exitosos y analizaremos la nueva vacunas para virus papiloma. Finalmente revisaremos 2 tópicos de la mujer climatérica: la salud cardiovascular y la salud ósea.SummaryIn this chapter we review four major milestones in women's preventive health.We will see the current recommendations for management of pregnancy and delivery care to the rights of women and medical practices recommended. Analyze the reproductive rights of women and the shift to hormonal contraception. Cervical cancer remains a prevalent disease and we will see how prevention programs are successful and we should analyze the new papillomavirus vaccines. Finally we will review two topics of climacteric women: cardiovascular health and bone health.

BACKGROUND: Thousands of women and newborns still die preventable deaths from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications in poor settings. Delivery with a skilled birth attendant is a vital intervention for saving lives. Yet many women, particularly where maternal mortality ratios are highest, do not have a skilled birth attendant at delivery. In Uganda, only 58 % of women deliver in a health facility, despite approximately 95 % of women attending antenatal care (ANC). This study aimed to (1) identify key factors underlying the gap between high rates of antenatal care attendance and much lower rates of health-facility delivery; (2) examine the association between advice during antenatal care to deliver at a health facility and actual place of delivery; (3) investigate whether antenatal care services in a post-conflict district of Northern Uganda actively link women to skilled birth attendant services; and (4) make recommendations for policy- and program-relevant implementation research to enhance use of skilled birth attendance services. METHODS: This study was carried out in Gulu District in 2009. Quantitative and qualitative methods used included: structured antenatal care client entry and exit interviews [n = 139]; semi-structured interviews with women in their homes [n = 36], with health workers [n = 10], and with policymakers [n = 10]; and focus group discussions with women [n = 20], men [n = 20], and traditional birth attendants [n = 20]. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent of antenatal care clients currently pregnant reported they received advice during their last pregnancy to deliver in a health facility, and 58 % of these reported having delivered in a health facility. After adjustment for confounding, women who reported they received advice at antenatal care to deliver at a health facility were significantly more likely (aOR = 2.83 [95 % CI: 1.19-6.75], p = 0.02) to report giving birth in a facility. Despite high antenatal care coverage, a number of demand and supply side barriers deter use of skilled birth attendance services. Primary barriers were: fear of being neglected or maltreated by health workers; long distance and other difficulties in access; poverty, and material requirements for delivery; lack of support from husband/partner; health systems deficiencies such as inadequate staffing/training, work environment, and referral systems; and socio-cultural and gender issues such as preferred birthing position and preference for traditional birth attendants. CONCLUSIONS: Initiatives to improve quality of client-provider interaction and respect for women are essential. Financial barriers must be abolished and emergency transport for referrals improved. Simultaneously, supply-side barriers must be addressed, notably ensuring a sufficient number of health workers providing skilled obstetric care in health facilities and creating habitable conditions and enabling environments for them.

Background Though Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is successful in increasing antenatal and natal care services, little is known on the cost coverage of out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on maternal care services post-NRHM period. Methods Using data from a community-based study of 424 recently delivered women in Rajasthan, this paper examined the variation in OOPE in accessing maternal health services and the extent to which JSY incentives covered the burden of cost incurred. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses are used to understand the differential and determinants of OOPE. Results The mean OOPE for antenatal care was US$26 at public health centres and US$64 at private health centres. The OOPE (antenatal and natal) per delivery was US$32 if delivery was conducted at home, US$78 at public facility and US$154 at private facility. The OOPE varied by the type of delivery, delivery with complications and place of ANC. The OOPE in public health centre was US$44 and US$145 for normal and complicated delivery, respectively. The share of JSY was 44 % of the total cost per delivery, 77 % in case of normal delivery and 23 % for complicated delivery. Results from the log linear model suggest that economic status, educational level and pregnancy complications are significant predictors of OOPE. Conclusions Our results suggest that JSY has increased the coverage of institutional delivery and reduced financial stress to household and families but not sufficient for complicated delivery. Provisioning of providing sonography/other test and treating complicated cases in public health centres need to be strengthened.

Objective To identify sociodemographic characteristics and factors involved in Tibetan women's decisions to deliver at the Tibetan Birth and Training Center (TBTC) in rural western China. Methods In the present mixed-methods study, a random sample of married women who delivered at the TBTC between June 2011 and June 2012 were surveyed. Additionally, four focus group discussions were conducted among married women living in the TBTC catchment area. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and dominant themes were identified. Results In focus group discussions, women (n = 33) reported that improved roads and transportation meant that access to health facilities was easier than in the past. Although some of the 114 survey participants voiced negative perceptions of healthcare facilities and providers, 99 (86.8%) indicated that they chose to deliver at the TBTC because they preferred to have a doctor present. Most women (75 [65.8%]) said their mother/mother-in-law made the final decision about delivery location. Women valued logistic and cultural aspects of the TBTC, and 108 (94.7%) said that they would recommend the TBTC to a friend. Conclusion Study participants preferred delivery care that combines safety and comfort. The findings highlight avenues for further promotion of facility delivery among populations with lower rates of skilled deliveries.

Introduction: Globally, health facility delivery is encouraged as a single most important strategy in preventing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, access to facility-based delivery care remains low in many less developed countries. This study assesses facilitators and barriers to institutional delivery in three districts of Tanzania. Methods: Data come from a cross-sectional survey of random households on health behaviours and service utilization patterns among women and children aged less than 5 years. The survey was conducted in 2011 in Rufiji, Kilombero, and Ulanga districts of Tanzania, using a closed-ended questionnaire. This analysis focuses on 915 women of reproductive age who had given birth in the two years prior to the survey. Chi-square test was used to test for associations in the bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression was used to examine factors that influence institutional delivery. Results: Overall, 74.5% of the 915 women delivered at health facilities in the two years prior to the survey. Multivariate analysis showed that the better the quality of antenatal care (ANC) the higher the odds of institutional delivery. Similarly, better socioeconomic status was associated with an increase in the odds of institutional delivery. Women of Sukuma ethnic background were less likely to deliver at health facilities than others. Presence of couple discussion on family planning matters was associated with higher odds of institutional delivery. Conclusion: Institutional delivery in Rufiji, Kilombero, and Ulanga district of Tanzania is relatively high and significantly dependent on the quality of ANC, better socioeconomic status as well as between-partner communication about family planning. Therefore, improving the quality of ANC, socioeconomic empowerment as well as promoting and supporting inter-spousal discussion on family planning matters is likely to enhance institutional delivery. Programs should also target women from the Sukuma ethnic group towards universal access to institutional delivery care in the study area.

Background: Infant mortality rate in Nigeria is among the highest world-wide. Utilization of modern health care facilities during pregnancy and at delivery reduces infant mortality rate. We examined the relationship between Infant Mortality (IM) and Maternal Health Care Services Access Index (MHCI) in Nigeria.Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized 2013 NDHS data and included women aged 15-49 years (n=12511). MHCI was obtained from information on antenatal visit, antenatal attendance, tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy, place of delivery and birth attendance. Cox-proportional hazard and Brass models were used for the analysis (α=0.05).Results: Mean MHCI was higher among women with lower prevalence of IM. About 5.1% and 3.4% of the women with none and complete MHCI had experienced infant deaths respectively. The hazard of experienced infant deaths was 1.497(1.068-2.098) and 1.466(1.170-1.836) significantly higher among women with no and low MHCI respectively than those with complete MHCI. This pattern was observed when other factors were used as control. The refined IM probability (range=0.0482-0.1102) and IM rates (range=50-119) increased with reduction in the level of MHCI. The IM rate reduces from 119 per 1,000 live births among women whose MHCI score was zero to 50 per 1,000 live births among those with complete MHCI score.Conclusion: Infant death was least experienced among women who had complete MHCI. If women optimize utilization of health facility during pregnancy and delivery, infant deaths will reduce in Nigeria.Keywords: Infant mortality, Maternal health care, Pregnancy care, Delivery care, Nigeria

Though gender equity is widely considered to be a key to improving maternal health in developing countries, little empirical evidence has been presented to support this claim. This paper investigates whether or not and how female autonomy within the household affects women's use of reproductive health care in Tajikistan, where the situation of maternal health and gender equity is worse compared with neighbouring countries. Estimation is performed using bivariate probit models in which woman's use of health services and the level of female autonomy are recursively and simultaneously determined. Empirical results reveal that female autonomy measured by women's decision-making on child wellbeing and on economic affairs within the household increases the probability of receiving both antenatal and delivery care. Policymakers need to address women's empowerment in the household in addition to implementing direct health interventions towards improvement of maternal health.

CONTEXT: Brazilian infant and child mortality levels are not compatible with the country's economic potential. In this paper, we provide a description of levels and trends in infant mortality due to perinatal causes and malformations and assess the likely impact of changing intermediate-level determinants, many of which are amenable to direct interventions through the health or related sectors. TYPE OF STUDY: Review paper. METHODS: Two main sources of mortality data were used: indirect mortality estimates based on censuses and surveys, and rates based on registered deaths. The latter were corrected for under-registration. Combination of the two sources of data allowed the estimation of cause-specific mortality rates. Data on current coverage of preventive and curative interventions were mostly obtained from the 1996 Demographic and Health Survey. Other national household surveys and Ministry of Health Statistics were also used. A thorough review of the Brazilian literature on levels, trends and determinants of infant mortality led to the identification of a large number of papers and books. These provided the background for the analyses of risk factors and potential interventions. RESULTS: The indirect infant mortality rate estimate for 1995-97 is of 37.5 deaths per thousand live births, about six times higher than in the lowest mortality countries in the world. Perinatal causes account for 57% of all infant deaths, and congenital malformations are responsible for 11.2% of these deaths. Mortality levels are highest in the Northeast and North, and lowest in the South and Southeast; the Center-West falls in between. Since surveys of the North region do not cover rural areas, mortality for this region may be underestimated. CONCLUSIONS: A first priority for the further reduction in infant mortality in Brazil is to improve equality among regions, since the North and Northeast, and particularly rural areas, still show very high death rates. Further reductions in infant mortality will largely depend on decreasing deaths due to perinatal causes. Improvements in the coverage and particularly in the quality of antenatal and delivery care are urgently needed. Another intervention with a potential important impact on infant mortality is the promotion of family planning. Improving birth weight might lead to an 8% reduction in infant mortality but the efficacy of available interventions is low. CONTEXTO: Os coeficientes brasileiros de mortalidade infantil e de crianças abaixo de 5 anos de idade não são compatíveis com o potencial econômico do país. Neste artigo descrevemos os níveis e tendências da mortalidade infantil por causas perinatais e malformações, e avaliamos o possível impacto de modificações de seus determinantes intermediários, através de intervenções diretas do setor saúde ou setores relacionados. MÉTODOS: Duas fontes de dados de mortalidade foram utilizadas: estimativas indiretas de mortalidade baseadas em recenseamentos e inquéritos e coeficientes calculados a partir de registros de óbitos. Esses últimos foram corrigidos para sub-registros. A combinação dessas duas fontes permitiu a estimativa de coeficientes de mortalidade por causas específicas. Dados sobre a cobertura de atenção de saúde foram obtidos da Pesquisa Nacional de Demografia e Saúde de 1996, assim como de estatísticas do Ministério da Saúde. Realizamos uma ampla revisão da literatura brasileira sobre níveis, tendências e determinantes da mortalidade infantil. As informações contidas em grande número de artigos e livros possibilitaram a análise de fatores de risco e possíveis intervenções. TIPO DE ESTUDO: Artigo de revisão. RESULTADOS: A estimativa indireta do coeficiente de mortalidade infantil para 1995-97 é de 37.5 mortes por 1.000 nascidos vivos, cerca de 6 vezes mais alta do que a dos países do mundo com os coeficientes mais baixos. Os coeficientes de mortalidade mais elevados são encontrados no Norte-Nordeste, e os mais baixos no Sul-Sudeste; o Centro-Oeste se situa em uma posição intermediária. Uma vez que os inquéritos na região Norte não incluem áreas rurais, os coeficientes de mortalidade infantil dessa região podem estar subestimados. Para todo o país, as causas perinatais são responsáveis por 57% de todas as mortes infantis, e as malformações congênitas são responsáveis por 11.2% dessas mortes. CONCLUSÕES: A primeira prioridade para uma maior redução da mortalidade infantil no Brasil é melhorar a eqüidade entre as regiões, uma vez que o Norte e o Nordeste e, particularmente, as áreas rurais, ainda apresentam coeficientes muito elevados. Reduções subseqüentes da mortalidade infantil vão depender, em grande parte, da redução das mortes devidas a causas perinatais. Melhorias na cobertura e, especialmente, na qualidade da atenção ao pré-natal e ao parto, são necessidades urgentes. Outra intervenção, com um possível impacto importante sobre a mortalidade infantil, é a promoção do planejamento familiar. A melhoria do peso ao nascer poderia levar a uma redução de 8% na mortalidade infantil, mas a eficácia das intervenções disponíveis é muito baixa.

Background : Understanding a woman’s perspective and her needs during childbirth and addressing them as part of quality-improvement programmes can make delivery care safe, affordable, and respectful. It has been pointed out that the patient’s judgement on the quality and goodness of care is indispensible to improving the management of healthcare systems. Objecti v e : The objective of the study is to understand the aspects of care that women consider important during childbirth. Design : Individual in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus-group discussions (FGDs) with women who recently delivered were the techniques used. Seventeen IDIs and four FGDs were conducted in Jharkhand state in east India between January and March 2012. Women who had normal deliveries with live births at home and in primary health centres were included. To minimise recall bias, interviews were conducted within 42 days of childbirth. Using the transcripts of interviews, the data were analysed thematically. Results : Aspects of care most commonly cited by women to be important were: availability of health providersand appropriate medical care (primarily drugs) in case of complications; emotional support; privacy; clean place after delivery; availability of transport to reach the institution; monetary incentives that exceed expenses; and prompt care. Other factors included kind interpersonal behaviour, cognitive support, faith in the provider’s competence, and overall cleanliness of the facility and delivery room. Conclusions : Respondents belonging to low socio-economic strata with basic literacy levels might not understand appropriate clinical aspects of care, but they want care that is affordable and accessible, along with privacy and emotional support during delivery. The study highlighted that healthcare qualityimprovement programmes in India need to include non-clinical aspects of care as women want to be treated humanely during deliverythey desire respectful treatment, privacy, and emotional support. Further research into maternal satisfaction could be made more policy relevant by assessing the relative strength of various factors in influencing maternal satisfaction; this could help in prioritising appropriate interventions for improved quality of care (QoC). Keywords : childbirth; deli v ery care; India; maternal; quality of care; respectful care (Published: 22 November 2013) Citation : Glob Health Action 2013, 6 : 22635 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v6i0.22635

Olatunde Aremu1,2, Stephen Lawoko1, Koustuv Dalal1,31Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 2College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; 3Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Health Technology Assessment, Linköping University, SwedenBackground: High maternal mortality continues to be a major public health problem in most part of the developing world, including Nigeria. Understanding the utilization pattern of maternal healthcare services has been accepted as an important factor for reducing maternal deaths. This study investigates the effect of neighborhood and individual socioeconomic position on the utilization of different forms of place of delivery among women of reproductive age in Nigeria.Methods: A population-based multilevel discrete choice analysis was performed using the most recent population-based 2008 Nigerian Demographic and Health Surveys data of women aged between 15 and 49 years. The analysis was restricted to 15,162 ever-married women from 888 communities across the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja.Results: The choice of place to deliver varies across the socioeconomic strata. The results of the multilevel discrete choice models indicate that with every other factor controlled for, the household wealth status, women's occupation, women's and partner's high level of education attainment, and possession of health insurance were associated with use of private and government health facilities for child birth relative to home delivery. The results also show that higher birth order and young maternal age were associated with use of home delivery. Living in a highly socioeconomic disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with home birth compared with the patronage of government health facilities. More specifically, the result revealed that choice of facility-based delivery is clustered around the neighborhoods.Conclusion: Home delivery, which cuts across all socioeconomic strata, is a common practice among women in Nigeria. Initiatives that would encourage the appropriate use of healthcare facilities at little or no cost to the most disadvantaged should be accorded the utmost priority.Keywords: delivery care, maternal health services utilization, multilevel discrete choice, Nigeria, socioeconomic disadvantaged, neigborhood, health policy