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Background: High-risk pregnancies, such as twin pregnancies, deserve particular attention as mortality is very high in this group. With a view to inform policy and national guidelines development for the Sustainable Development Goals, we reviewed national training materials, guidelines, and policies underpinning the provision of care in relation to twin pregnancies and assessed care provided to twins in 8 Eastern and Southern African countries: Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe., Methods and Findings: We located policies and guidelines by reviewing national repositories and by contacting experts to systematically map country-level maternal and newborn training materials, guidelines, and policies. We extracted recommendations for care for twins spanning ante-, intra-, and postpartum care that typically should be offered during twin pregnancies and childbirth. We compared care provided for mothers of twins to that provided for mothers of singletons during the ante-, intra-, and postpartum period and computed neonatal mortality rates using the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data for each country. There was a paucity of guidance on care specifically for twin or multiple pregnancies: None of the countries provided clear guidance on additional number of antenatal care visits or specific antenatal content, while 7 of the 8 countries recommended twins to be delivered in a comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care facility. These results were mirrored by DHS results of 73,462 live births (of which 1,360 were twin) indicating that twin pregnancies did not receive more frequent or intensified antenatal care. The percentage of twin deliveries in hospitals varied from 25.3% in Mozambique to 63.0% in Kenya, and women with twin deliveries were between 5 and 27 percentage points more likely to deliver in hospitals compared to women with singleton live births; this difference was significant in 5 of the 8 countries (t test p < 0.05). The percentage of twin deliveries by cesarean section varied from 9% in Mozambique to 36% in Rwanda. The newborn mortality rate among twins, adjusted for maternal age and parity, was 4.6 to 7.2 times higher for twins compared to singletons in all 8 countries., Conclusions: Despite the limited sample size and the limited number of clinically relevant services evaluated, our study provided evidence that mothers of twins receive insufficient care and that mortality in twin newborns is very high in Eastern and Southern Africa. Most countries have insufficient guidelines for the care of twins. While our data do not allow us to make a causal link between insufficient guidelines and insufficient care, they call for an assessment and reconceptualisation of policies to reduce the unacceptably high mortality in twins in Eastern and Southern Africa., Competing Interests: We have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: LB was supported by funding from MSD for Mothers program, an initiative of Merck & Co., Inc. The remaining authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: To compare a five-visit antenatal care (ANC) model with specified goals with the standard model in a rural area in Zimbabwe., Design: Cluster randomised controlled trial with the clinic as the randomisation unit., Setting: Primary care setting in a developing country where care was provided by nurse-midwives., Population: Women booking for ANC in the clinics were eligible., Main Outcome Measures: Number of antenatal visits, antepartum and intrapartum referrals, utilization of health centre for delivery and perinatal outcomes., Methods: Twenty-three rural health centres were stratified prior to random allocation to the new (n = 11) or standard (n = 12) model of care., Results: We recruited 13,517 women (new, n = 6897 and standard, n = 6620) in the study, and 78% (10,572) of their pregnancy records were retrieved. There was no difference in median maternal age, parity and gestational age at booking between women in the standard model and those in the new model. The median number of visits was four for both models. The proportion of women with five or less visits was 77% in the new and 69% in the standard model (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.08-2.2). The likelihood of haemoglobin testing was higher in the new model (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.0-5.7) but unchanged for syphilis testing. There were fewer intrapartum transfers (5.4 versus 7.9% [OR 0.66; 95% CI 0.44-0.98]) in the new model but no difference in antepartum or postpartum transfers. There was no difference in rates of preterm delivery or low birthweight. The perinatal mortality was 25/1000 in standard model and 28/1000 in new model., Conclusion: In Gutu district, a focused five-visit schedule did not change the number of contacts but was more effective as expressed by increased adherence to procedures and better use of institutional health care.

Evidence based recommendations, taken from systematic reviews of available literature form the basis for best practices. The manpower and resources available at health institutions in Zimbabwe have been taken into account in developing these antenatal protocols. Good quality is achieved when all the six visits are undertaken at the recommended times, and the activities are carried out competently by providers displaying a good attitude towards the patients. The providers should assess the quality of antenatal care periodically using indicators of access and the correct performance of procedures.

We conducted a population-based cohort study to determine the prevalence of antenatal and intra-partum referrals, compliance with advice and perinatal outcomes in referred pregnant women in Gutu district, Zimbabwe. The cohort was composed of 10,572 women who received antenatal care in 23 rural health centres (RHC) in Gutu district between January 1995 and June 1998. Pregnancy records of women with antenatal or intra-partum referral were analysed for indication, compliance and perinatal outcomes. Using women who had no antenatal referral or those who complied as referents, the association of referral with perinatal outcome was expressed as relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 30% of women (3,094/10,572) had an antenatal referral. Among women attending RHC in labour, 13% (694/5,338) were referred intra-partum. Nulliparous and women younger than 20 years were more likely to be referred. Nurse - midwives' compliance with referral recommendations was low as 59% women with historical risk factors and 52% with raised blood pressure (>140/90 mmHg) were not referred. Women complied with referral advice except when indication was high parity. Women with antenatal referral were more likely to have hospital delivery, 70% vs 18% (p < 0.001). A total of 13% (993/7,478) of women referred themselves for hospital delivery. The risk of perinatal death was elevated among intra-partum referrals (RR 3.4; 95% CI 1.7 - 6.8), self-referrals (RR 2.6; 95% CI 1.5 - 4.5) and also among women with historical risk factors who were not referred (RR 4.8; 95% CI 2.5 - 9.2). We concluded that although there was a functional referral system in Gutu district its efficiency was reduced by failure of health personnel to comply with referral recommendations. Women took appropriate action for most referral indications.

Objectives: To determine coverage for antenatal syphilis screening in a rural area and evaluate the accuracy of on-site Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) tests performed by nurse-midwives., Design: Descriptive cross sectional., Setting: Rural Health Centres (n = 23) in the Gutu District of Zimbabwe., Subjects: Women booking for antenatal care in the district were used to determine coverage of screening. Results from women who had an RPR test performed during a nine week period were used in assessing the accuracy of tests performed by nurse-midwives., Intervention: On-site antenatal screening for syphilis using an RPR kit with immediate results and treatment for women who tested positive., Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence of syphilis (positive RPR) at booking and the level of agreement between three observers (RHC nurse-midwife, medical practitioner under field conditions and medical laboratory technologist)., Results: Eighty five percent of women were screened for syphilis at the first antenatal visit and 11% had a positive RPR. Almost all (97.3%) women with a positive RPR test result were treated. The accuracy of tests performed by RHC staff was poor with a sensitivity of 40% (95% CI 21.8 to 61.1) when compared to those done by the medical practitioner and 8.7% (95% CI 1.5 to 29.5) when compared to those done in a laboratory. The predictive value of a positive test was 22.7% and that of a negative test was 94.9%., Conclusion: The coverage of screening for syphilis in pregnant women in Gutu District was good but the results were unreliable. There is need for nurse-midwives, who perform the majority of RPR tests in the RHC, to receive adequate training to ensure competence in testing and to strengthen quality control procedures.

Objective: The aim was to study the effect of a new antenatal care (ANC) programme on the attitudes of pregnant women and midwives towards antenatal care., Design: This was a controlled trial in which the attitudes of women and staff using the standard programme of ANC were compared to those using a new one. The new programme contained fewer but objective oriented visits, and was designed to improve consumer and provider satisfaction with ANC., Setting: Antenatal sessions at primary care clinics in Harare., Subjects: 200 pregnant women and 65 midwives., Main Outcome Measures: The satisfaction of pregnant women and staff with ANC, reasons for lack of satisfaction, and time spent waiting for consultations., Results: The new programme did not make any impact on the time spent by women waiting to be seen at the clinics, nor on the time made available for the consultations. There was no significant impact on the degree of satisfaction with the care among the women. In the control clinics, significantly more staff wished the women to make fewer visits, and in the study clinics, significantly more staff thought the use of appointments was appropriate. The major problem limiting access to ANC was lack of money to pay for the booking fees. Other problems mentioned by the women were ignorance regarding the best time to book, lack of privacy and insufficient staff at the clinics., Conclusions: The solutions to some of the problems identified require infrastructural changes at policy making level, rather than changes within the antenatal care programmes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate how health education is currently practiced in the antenatal clinics in Harare and to make recommendations for its improvement., Design: This was a descriptive study in which data was collected through subject interviews and by observations of antenatal clinics in progress., Settings: Antenatal sessions at primary care clinics in Harare., Subjects: 100 pregnant women and 65 midwives., Main Outcome Measure: The timing, frequency and methods used in health education and the attitude of the pregnant mothers and staff to health education., Results: The results revealed that health education was given once in pregnancy, on the first visit only. The lecture was the most used teaching method. The lecture was full of distractions which affected the concentration of the audience. Midwives decided on the subject matter for health education without consultation with the expectant women. As a result many women could not follow the practical advice given to them. Midwives overestimated their use of other methods of health education. Both the staff and the pregnant women agreed that there should be greater use of written material for women to read at home with their spouses., Conclusion: The lecture is not the most appropriate method of health education during pregnancy and greater use should be made of other methods of communication such as the mass media and pamphlets.

Background: Many of the individual components of antenatal care have been studied in randomised controlled trials, but few studies have compared whole programmes of antenatal care. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that a new programme of antenatal care with fewer goal-oriented visits would give an equivalent or better result in the outcomes associated with pregnancy and delivery., Methods: In a randomised clinical trial in Harare, Zimbabwe, we compared a new programme of antenatal care with the standard programme. The new programme consisted of fewer but more objectively oriented visits and fewer procedures per visit. Seven primary care clinics were randomly assigned to the two programmes-three to the standard programme and four to the new programme., Findings: Over a 2-year period, 15,994 women were recruited into the study at the time they booked antenatal care. 97% of the women were followed up, 9,394 who had followed the new programme, and 6,138 from clinics with the standard one. Women allocated to the new programme made, as planned, fewer visits than those in the standard programme (median 4 vs 6 visits, respectively). The proportion of antenatal referrals was also lower (13.6 vs 15.3%; odds ratio 0.87 [95% CI 0.79-0.95]) because of significantly fewer referrals for pregnancy-induced hypertension (2.5 vs 3.8%; 0.66 [0.55-0.79]). Nevertheless, there were significantly fewer labour referrals for severe hypertension or eclampsia (2.1 vs 2.6%; 0.81 [0.66-1.00]). The risk for preterm (< 37 weeks) delivery was significantly lower for women on the new programme (10.1 vs 11.5%; 0.86 [0.78-0.96]). There were no other significant differences between the programmes in other major indices of pregnancy outcome, including antenatal referrals for other causes, labour referrals, obstetric interventions, low birthweight, and perinatal and maternal mortality and morbidity., Interpretation: An antenatal care programme with fewer more objectively oriented visits can be introduced without adverse effects on the main intermediate outcome pregnancy variables.

Antenatal care (ANC) attempts to screen and provide surveillance and treatment to individuals according to the level of need. We assessed the value of antenatal risk allocation made at the first visit in identifying women who will experience pregnancy complications in a rural area in Zimbabwe. As part of an ANC trial women were allocated into low- and high-risk categories based on medical, demographic and obstetric history. All highrisk women were recommended hospital delivery. This evaluation is based on 5223 women who received traditional care from nurse-midwives in 12 rural health centres, of whom 2890 (55%) were classified as high risk by the traditional risk markers, including 1618 nulliparous women. Complications occurred in 924 (17·7%) women 577 (62·4%) of whom had risk markers identified at booking. Twenty per cent (577/2890) of women classified as high risk developed complications. There was a high recurrence of complications, such as hypertensive disorders, operative delivery and preterm delivery. Nulliparity was a risk for low birth weight, operative delivery and hypertensive disorders, whereas grandmultiparity (≥6) was a risk for hypertension in pregnancy. Young age (≤16 years) was)a risk factor for low birth weight and perinatal death. Age above 35 years was not an independent risk factor. The traditional risk allocation system, with a likelihood ratio of 1·16, was not effective in identifying women at risk of pregnancy complications and resulted in too large a risk group for referral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]