Antenatal Care Use and Skilled Birth Attendance in Benishangul-Gumuz National Regional State of Ethiopia: The Case of Two Districts

Abstract

Delivery through skilled birth attendance (SBA) reportedly reduces maternal and new-born mortality. Despite a steady rise in antenatal care attendance over the past few years, which is believed to be a good predictor of skilled delivery, utilization of skilled birth  attendance in Ethiopia is quite low. This study explored the underlying socio-cultural factors and service-related constraints of SBA utilisation in Mengi (rural) and Assosa (urban and rural) districts of Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State of Ethiopia. The study was conducted during December 2012 to January 2013. Data was gathered using key informant interviews with service providers, in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion with women who were pregnant or had at least one child in the recent past from the time of the data collection. The study was supplemented by service statistics gathered through desk review. Collected data were transcribed, categorized and thematically analysed. Antenatal care utilization was consistently much higher than SBA utilisation in both woredas. Factors that were primarily associated with the low level of SBA utilization include: not believing in the need for skilled health care, women’s lack of participation in decision-making in their health care, not affording the cost of transport, lack of resource to ensure birth preparedness, religion and traditional beliefs, poor state of the service in skilled health care, distance from facility and lack of
transportation.

Keywords: Antenatal care use, skilled birth attendance, BenishangulGumuz, barriers