WHARC commenced implementing a multi-faceted intervention to improve the utilization of the available PHCs in two LGAs in Edo State namely Esan South East and Etsako East Local Government Areas with an aim to increase women’s access to skilled pregnancy care to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in Nigeria.
Comparing the impact of the intervention, before (baseline) and after (endline), 62% of the currently pregnant women had attended at least one antenatal care, with an increased percentage of 74% at endline.
Out of the currently pregnant respondents who attended antenatal care at baseline, 52.6% used the PHCs in the project communities and at endline, 76.6% used the PHCs.
An assessment of antenatal care visit for the most recent birth shows that 40.8% of women in the project communities used the PHCs in the project communities, while the proportion increased to 69.5% at endline.
The women who used the PHCs in the project communities for delivery care increased from 31.8% at baseline to 59% at endline, and postnatal care in the PHCs increased from 41.2% to 69.5% at endline.
The percentage of women who used the PHCs for immunization also increased from 59.7% at baseline to 78.6% at endline.
This indicate that the utilization of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) where skilled care delivery can be accessed will greatly reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in Nigeria.
