Improving healthcare accessibility for pregnant women and children in the context of health system strengthening initiatives and terrorist attacks in Central Mali: a controlled interrupted time series analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The Health and Social Development Program of the Mopti Region (PADSS2) project, launched in Mali's Mopti region, targeted Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The project addressed demand-side barriers by offering an additional subsidy to household contributions, complementing existing State support (component 1). Component 2 focused on supply-side improvements, enhancing quality and coverage. Component 3 strengthened central and decentralised capacity for planning, supervision and UHC reflection, integrating gender mainstreaming. The study assessed the impact of the project on maternal and child healthcare use and explored how rising terrorist activities might affect these health outcomes. METHODS: The impact of the intervention on assisted births, prenatal care and curative consultations for children under 5 was analysed from January 2016 to December 2021. This was done using an interrupted time series analysis, incorporating a comparison group and spline regression. RESULTS: C1 increased assisted deliveries by 0.39% (95% CI 0.20 to 0.58] and C2 by 1.52% (95% CI 1.36 to 1.68). C1-enhanced first and fourth antenatal visits by 1.37% (95% CI 1.28 to 1.47) and 2.07% (95% CI 1.86 to 2.28), respectively, while C2 decreased them by 0.53% and 1.16% (95% CI -1.34 to -0.99). For child visits under 5, C1 and C2 showed increases of 0.32% (95% CI 0.20 to 0.43) and 1.36% (95% CI 1.27 to 1.46), respectively. In areas with terrorist attacks, child visits decreased significantly by 24.69% to 39.86% compared with unexposed areas. CONCLUSION: The intervention had a limited impact on maternal and child health, falling short of expectations for a health system initiative. Understanding the varied effects of terrorism on healthcare is key to devising strategies that protect the most vulnerable in the system.

Knowledge and practice of health workers towards maternal and child health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The burden of maternal and child mortality is high in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). While health workers (HWs) with adequate knowledge and practice of maternal and child health (MCH) are crucial to reduce this burden, the skill level of HWs in charge of MCH in the DRC is currently insufficient. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of HWs towards MCH in Kasai and Maniema, two DRC provinces with very high maternal mortality ratios and under-5 mortality rates. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 96 health facilities of Kasai and Maniema provinces in 2019. All HWs in charge of MCH were eligible for the study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing 76 questions on knowledge and practice of MCH. Analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, Kendall's correlation test, and a multivariate linear mixed regression model. RESULTS: Among participating HWs, 42.6% were A2 nurses (lowest qualification), 81.9% had no up-to-date training in MCH, and 48.4% had only 1-5 years of experience in MCH. In the two provinces combined, about half of HWs had poor knowledge (50.6%) and poor practice (53.3%) of MCH. Knowledge and practice scores were higher in Maniema than in Kasai (P < 0.001). Good knowledge and practice scores were significantly associated with high qualification (P = 0.001), continuing up-to-date training in MCH (P = 0.009), and 6 years of experience or more in MCH (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: In Maniema and Kasai provinces, about half of HWs had poor knowledge and poor practice of MCH. The conversion of A1 nurses into midwives as well as the provision of up-to-date training in MCH, supervision, and mentorship could improve the skill level of HWs and could thus reduce the burden of MCH in the DRC.

This study assessed the knowledge and practice of health workers (HWs) towards maternal and child health (MCH) in Kasai and Maniema, two provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with very high maternal and child mortality rates. About half of surveyed HWs had poor knowledge and poor practice of MCH. Good knowledge and good practice were associated with high qualification, up-to-date training, and 6 years of experience or more in MCH. The conversion of A1 nurses into midwives as well as the provision of up-to-date training in MCH, supervision, and mentorship could improve the skill level of HWs and could thus reduce the burden of MCH in the DRC.

'That is because we are alone': A relational qualitative study of socio-spatial inequities in maternal and newborn health programme coverage in rural Uttar Pradesh, India.

This qualitative study was conducted in Uttar Pradesh state, India to explore how interrelated socio-economic position and spatial characteristics of four diverse villages may have influenced equity in coverage of community-based maternal and newborn health (MNH) services. We conducted social mapping and three focus group discussions in each village, among women of lower and higher socio-economic position who recently gave birth, and with community health workers (n = 134). Data were analysed in NVivo 11.0 using thematic framework analysis. The extent of socio-economic hierarchies and spatial disparateness within the village, combined with distance to larger centers, together shaped villages' level of socio-spatial remoteness. Disadvantaged socio-economic groups expressed being more often spatially isolated, with less access to infrastructure, resources or services, which was heightened if the village was physically distant from larger centers. In more socio-spatially remote villages, inequities in coverage of MNH services that disadvantaged lower socio-economic position groups were compounded as these groups more often experienced ASHA vacancies, as well as greater distance to and poorer perceived quality of health services nearest the village. The results inform a conceptual framework of 'socio-spatial remoteness' that can guide public health research and programmes to more comprehensively address health inequities within India and beyond.

Prioritization of maternal and newborn health policies and their implementation in the eastern conflict affected areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo: a political economy analysis.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and neonatal mortality remains a major concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the country's protracted crisis context exacerbates the problem. This political economy analysis examines the maternal and newborn health (MNH) prioritization in the DRC, focussing specifically on the conflict-affected regions of North and South Kivu. The aim is to understand the factors that facilitate or hinder the prioritization of MNH policy development and implementation by the Congolese government and other key actors at national level and in the provinces of North and South Kivu. METHODS: Using a health policy triangle framework, data collection consisted of in-depth interviews with key actors at different levels of the health system, combined with a desk review. Qualitative data were analysed using inductive and then deductive approaches, exploring the content, process, actor dynamics, contextual factors and gender-related factors influencing MNH policy development and implementation. RESULTS: The study highlighted the challenges of prioritizing policies in the face of competing health and security emergencies, limited resources and governance issues. The universal health coverage policy seems to offer hope for improving access to MNH services. Results also revealed the importance of international partnerships and global financial mechanisms in the development of MNH strategies. They reveal huge gender disparities in the MNH sector at all levels, and the need to consider cultural factors that can positively or negatively impact the success of MNH policies in crisis zones. CONCLUSIONS: MNH is a high priority in DRC, yet implementation faces hurdles due to financial constraints, political influences, conflicts and gender disparities. Addressing these challenges requires tailored community-based strategies, political engagement, support for health personnel and empowerment of women in crisis areas for better MNH outcomes.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to and delivery of maternal and child healthcare services in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review of the literature.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a multifaceted impact on maternal and child services and adversely influenced pregnancy outcomes. This systematic review aims to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to and delivery of maternal and child healthcare services in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: The review was reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A primary search of electronic databases was performed using a combination of search terms related to the following areas of interest: "impact' AND 'COVID-19' AND 'maternal and child health services' AND 'low- and middle-income countries. A narrative synthesis approach was used to analyse and integrate the results. Results: Overall, 45 unique studies conducted across 28 low- and middle-income countries met the inclusion criteria for the review. The findings suggest the number of family planning visits, antenatal and postnatal care visits, consultations for sick children, paediatric emergency visits and child immunisation levels decreased compared to the pre-pandemic levels in the majority of included studies. An analytical framework including four main categories was developed based on the concepts that emerged from included studies: the anxiety of not knowing (1), overwhelmed healthcare systems (2), challenges perceived by healthcare professionals (3) and difficulties perceived by service users (4). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted family planning services, antenatal and postnatal care coverage, and emergency and routine child services. Generalised conclusions are tentative due to the heterogeneity and inconsistent quality of the included studies. Future research is recommended to define the pandemic's impact on women and children worldwide and prepare healthcare systems for future resurgences of COVID-19 and potential challenges beyond. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO (CRD42021285178).

[Communication between pregnant women and maternal and child health professionals and trust in professionals and awareness of source of help in the postpartum period: Evaluation using JACSIS Pregnant-Postpartum Women's Data 2020-2021].

Objective　This study aims to estimate the impact of maternal and child health professional consultation and development of support plans during pregnancy on trust in community health professionals (trust) and awareness of sources of public/private institutional support (awareness) in the postpartum period.Methods　A web-based panel survey was conducted in July-August 2021 and January-February 2022, targeting women who were pregnant during the 2021 survey and 0-5 months postpartum in 2022. We collected information about consultation opportunities and development of a support plan during pregnancy, trust and recognition, demographic characteristics, employment status, and pregnancy- and childbirth-related variables. First, logistic regression analysis was conducted by setting trust and recognition during postpartum as outcomes. Exposure variables were the consultation opportunities and development of a support plan during the pregnancy period. Second, we added the presence of a comprehensive support center for raising children, the financial index of the municipality of residence, the per capita child welfare expenditure, and the number of nurses at the comprehensive support center for maternal and child health to the analytical model as overall level of municipal support in order to check the robustness of our results.Results　Responses were obtained from pregnant women across Japan. Of the 616 respondents included in the analysis, 74.0% had opportunities for consultation, 23.7% made support plans, 69.8% trusted local maternal and child health professionals, and 63.6% recognized public/private institutional support as places for help-seeking. Logistic regression analysis showed that trust and recognition were higher among those who had opportunities to consult and had created a support plan compared to those who did not. With regard to trust, for those who had opportunities to consult, the odds ratio (OR) was 2.05 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.37-3.07), and for those who developed a support plan, the OR was 2.25 (95% CI 1.41-3.60). As for recognition, the OR was 1.46 (95% CI 0.98-2.16) if given the opportunity for consultation. For development of a support plan, the OR was 3.05 (95% CI 1.94-4.80). These results did not change even after adjusting for municipal finances and the level of support for pregnant women in general.Conclusions　Consultation opportunities and developing support plans during pregnancy increased trust and recognition in the postpartum period while municipal finances or overall support for child rearing were not associated with these outcomes, thus suggesting the importance of engagement with professionals during pregnancy.

The COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to maternal and child health services in public primary care Malaysia: a retrospective time-series analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Maintaining essential health services, including maternal and child health (MCH), while addressing the pandemic is an enormous task. This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilisation of MCH services in Malaysian public primary care. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using national administrative data from 1124 public primary care clinics. Eight indicators were selected to measure service utilisation covering antenatal, postnatal, women's health, child health, and immunisation services. Interrupted time-series analysis was used to evaluate changes in levels and trends of indicators during four different periods: pre-pandemic (January 2019-February 2020), during pandemic and first lockdown (March-May 2020), after the first lockdown was lifted (June-December 2020) and after the second lockdown was implemented (January-June 2021). RESULTS: Most indicators showed no significant trend in monthly utilisation prior to the pandemic. The onset of the pandemic and first lockdown implementation were associated with significant decreasing trends in child health (-19.23%), women's health (-10.12%), antenatal care (-8.10%), contraception (-6.50%), postnatal care (-4.85%) and postnatal care 1-week (-3.52%) indicators. These indicators showed varying degrees of recovery after the first lockdown was lifted. The implementation of the second lockdown caused transient reduction ranging from -11.29% to -25.92% in women's health, contraception, child and two postnatal indicators, but no sustained reducing trend was seen afterwards. Two immunisation indicators appeared unaffected throughout the study period. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted MCH services utilisation in Malaysia. While most MCH services were negatively affected by the lockdown implementation with varying degrees of recovery, infant immunisation showed resilience throughout. This highlights the need for a targeted preparedness plan to ensure the resilience of MCH services in future crises.

Methods and Measures to Assess Health Care Provider Behavior and Behavioral Determinants in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health: A Rapid Review.

BACKGROUND: Health care provider behavior is the outcome of a complex set of factors that are both internal and external to the provider. Social and behavior change (SBC) programs are increasingly engaging providers and introducing strategies to improve their service delivery. However, there is limited understanding of methods and measures applied to assess provider behavioral outcomes and strengthen provider behavior change programming. METHODS: Using PubMed, we conducted a rapid review of published research on behaviors of health workers providing reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health services in low- and middle-income countries (2010-2021). Information on study identifiers (e.g., type of provider), select domains from Green and Kreuter's PRECEDE-PROCEED framework (e.g., predisposing factors such as attitudes), study characteristics (e.g., study type and design), and evidence of theory-driven research were extracted from a final sample of articles (N=89) and summarized. RESULTS: More than 80% of articles were descriptive/formative and examined knowledge, attitudes, and practice, mostly related to family planning. Among the few evaluation studies, training-focused interventions to increase provider knowledge or improve competency in providing a health service were dominant. Research driven by behavioral theory was observed in only 3 studies. Most articles (75%) focused on the quality of client-provider interaction, though topics and modes of measurement varied widely. Very few studies incorporated a validated scale to measure underlying constructs, such as attitudes and beliefs, and how these may be associated with provider behaviors. CONCLUSION: A need exists for (1) theory-driven approaches to designing and measuring provider behavior change interventions and (2) measurement that addresses important internal and structural factors related to a provider's behavior (beyond knowledge-enhancing training approaches). Additional investment in implementation research is also needed to better understand which SBC approaches are shifting provider behavior and improving client-provider interactions. Finally, theory-driven approaches could help develop empirically measurable and comparable outcomes.

Male involvement as a significant contributor for enhancing maternal and child health-care services: A scoping review.

Men have conventionally been excluded from Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services, thereby reinforcing the erroneous notion that pregnancy and the processes leading to childbirth and child-rearing are the preserve of women. Participation of men in MCH is crucial for the reduction of infant and maternal mortality. This scoping review focuses on the contribution of male involvement to MCH care and explores the feasible strategies to improve it. Studies on male involvement in the crucial timelines of the MCH and strategies for implementing and improving male involvement in MCH care in India and other developing countries were obtained through a review of literature in PubMed databases using the medical subject headings (MeSH) terms and unpublished, grey literature during the year 1990-2020. Nearly 50 of the eligible articles were included and synthesized into a scoping review report. Findings revealed that the men's participation had a beneficial impact on all crucial timelines of MCH care. Yet, women perceived low male participation in most of the studies. Several different factors that influence have been identified, including education, socioeconomic status, traditional practices, negative stereotyping among males, and lack of male friendly health-care system. Utilization of community volunteers, male peer educators, workplace-based or mass media education, and men-friendly policy changes or health-care provider initiatives could be crucial in improving male involvement in MCH care. Despite worldwide acceptance as an essential contributor to enhancing MCH care, the scoping review revealed low male involvement levels in developing countries and identified strategies to address this lacuna.

Peer support interventions in maternal and child healthcare delivery in sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a realist review.

BACKGROUND: Peer support has been proposed as a promising policy intervention for addressing adverse maternal and child healthcare (MCH) outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Existing reviews on peer support largely draw on evidence from high-income countries or focus on single services like breastfeeding, nutrition or postnatal care. In contrast, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the empirical literature on peer support interventions across various MCH services in sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, we aim to understand how, why, for whom, and in what circumstances different forms of MCH peer support interventions contribute to improving healthcare outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: This review follows five iterative steps for undertaking realist reviews (1) defining the review scope; (2) developing initial programme theories; (3) searching for evidence; (4) selecting and appraising evidence; and (5) extracting, analysing and synthesising evidence. Four databases-Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE-were repeatedly searched between March and June 2021. From a large volume of records retrieved from the database and citation search, 61 papers have been selected for review. We will conduct a second search of the same database covering June 2021 to the present before the final extraction and synthesis. The final list of selected papers will be imported into NVivo 12 software and organised, extracted, analysed and synthesised iteratively to examine and illustrate the causal links between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of MCH peer support interventions in SSA. We have drawn on the existing literature on peer support in healthcare generally to develop initial programme theories. We will then use the empirical literature on MCH peer support interventions in SSA, inputs from a stakeholders' workshop in Ghana and a conference presentation to refine the initial programme theory. DISCUSSION: The review will develop an explicit theory of peer support intervention in healthcare delivery and provide insights for developing evidence-informed policy on the intervention. Drawing lessons from the different national contexts and diverse areas of MCH in SSA, the review will provide an analytically generalizable programme theory that can guide intervention design and implementation. While focusing on MCH peer support interventions in SSA, the review contributes to evolving conversations on the use of theory for health policy planning and complex intervention design and implementation globally. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration ID: CRD42023427751 .

i-MoMCARE: Innovative Mobile Technology for Maternal and Child Health Care in Cambodia-study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The Government of Cambodia established the village health support groups (VHSGs) in 2003 to facilitate primary healthcare activities, including maternal and child health (MCH) services. However, VHSGs face several challenges that hinder them from performing optimally, including a lack of regular structured training and remuneration and limited and inconsistent support and supervision from the health centers (HCs). This implementation research aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a digital health intervention to improve the performance of VHSGs through better support and supervision and increase the MCH service coverage in rural Cambodia. METHODS: i-MoMCARE, a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial, will be conducted between 2022 and 2025. Five operational districts (ODs) have been randomized to an intervention arm and the other five ODs to the control arm. The intervention will last for 24 months. Around 200 VHSGs in the intervention arm will be equipped with a mobile application as a job aid and 20 HC staff with a web interface to improve support and supervision of VHSGs. The potential beneficiaries will include pregnant women, mothers, and children under 2 years old. We will measure the outcomes at baseline and endline. The primary outcomes will consist of a composite MCH index constructed from maternal and newborn care indicators, child immunization, and treatment of under-two children. Secondary outcomes will include coverage of selected MCH services. We will conduct the intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses. We will conduct qualitative interviews with selected beneficiaries and stakeholders to evaluate the intervention's acceptability, feasibility, and scalability. We will also conduct a cost-effective analysis using decision-analytic modeling incorporating a societal perspective that explores different time horizons, intervention effects, and when scaled up to the national level. DISCUSSION: i-MoMCARE is expected to increase MCH service access and coverage in rural Cambodia. It will contribute to advancing digital health use in primary healthcare interventions, which remains in its infancy in the country. Furthermore, the study findings will be a valuable addition to a growing body of literature on the effectiveness and feasibility of mobile health to improve coverage of MCH services in rural low- and middle-income country settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.gov NCT05639595. Registered on 06 December 2022.

A scoping review, mapping, and prioritisation process for emergency obstetric and neonatal quality of care indicators: Focus on provision and experience of care.

Background: Globally, approximately 800 women and 6400 newborns die around the time of childbirth each day. Many of these deaths could be prevented with high-quality emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC). The Monitoring Emergency Obstetric Care: A handbook guides strengthening EmONC services. However, the handbook contains limited quality of care measures. Our study identified and prioritised quality of care indicators for potential inclusion in the handbook, which is undergoing revision. Methods: We conducted a consultative scoping review, mapping, and prioritisation exercise to select a short list of indicators on facility-based maternal and newborn quality of care. Indicators were identified from literature searches and expert suggestions and organised by the categories of structure, process, and outcomes as defined in the World Health Organization's Standards for Improving Quality of Maternal and Newborn Care in Health Facilities. We focused on process indicators, encompassing the provision of care and experience of care during the intrapartum period, and developed a priority list of indicators using the selection criteria of relevance and feasibility. Experience of care indicators were also mapped against the Person-Centered Maternity Care (PCMC) scale. Results: We extracted a total of 3023 quality of care indicators. After removing out-of-scope and duplicate indicators and applying our selection criteria, we identified 20 provision of care indicators for possible inclusion in the revised EmONC handbook. We recommend including a score for experience of care that could be measured with the 30-item or the 13-item PCMC scale. We also identified 29 experience of care items not covered by the PCMC scale that could be used. Provider experience, patient safety, and quality of abortion care were identified as areas for which no or few indicators were found through our scoping review. Conclusions: Through a rigorous, consultative, and multi-step process, we selected a short list of process-related, facility-based quality of care indicators for emergency obstetric and newborn care. This list could be included in the EmONC handbook or used for other monitoring purposes. Country consultations to assess the utility and feasibility of the proposed indicators and their adaptation to local contexts will support their refinement and uptake. Registration: https://osf.io/msxbd (Open Science Framework).

Predicting the drop out from the maternal, newborn and child healthcare continuum in three East African Community countries: application of machine learning models.

BACKGROUND: For optimal health, the maternal, newborn, and child healthcare (MNCH) continuum necessitates that the mother/child receive the full package of antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care. In sub-Saharan Africa, dropping out from the MNCH continuum remains a challenge. Using machine learning, the study sought to forecast the MNCH continuum drop out and determine important predictors in three East African Community (EAC) countries. METHODS: The study utilised Demographic Health Surveys data from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (2013/14), Kenya (2014) and Tanzania (2015/16). STATA 17 was used to perform the multivariate logistic regression. Python 3.0 was used to build five machine learning classification models namely the Logistic Regression, Random Forest, Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Network. Performance of the models was assessed using Accuracy, Precision, Recall, Specificity, F1 score and area under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (AUROC). RESULTS: The prevalence of the drop out from the MNCH continuum was 91.0% in the DRC, 72.4% in Kenya and 93.6% in Tanzania. Living in the rural areas significantly increased the odds of dropping out from the MNCH continuum in the DRC (AOR:1.76;95%CI:1.30-2.38), Kenya (AOR:1.23;95%CI:1.03-1.47) and Tanzania (AOR:1.41;95%CI:1.01-1.97). Lower maternal education also conferred a significant increase in the DRC (AOR:2.16;95%CI:1.67-2.79), Kenya (AOR:1.56;95%CI:1.30-1.84) and Tanzania (AOR:1.70;95%CI:1.24-2.34). Non exposure to mass media also conferred a significant positive influence in the DRC (AOR:1.49;95%CI:1.15-1.95), Kenya (AOR:1.46;95%CI:1.19-1.80) and Tanzania (AOR:1.65;95%CI:1.13-2.40). The Random Forest exhibited superior predictive accuracy (Accuracy = 75.7%, Precision = 79.1%, Recall = 92.1%, Specificity = 51.6%, F1 score = 85.1%, AUROC = 70%). The top four predictors with the greatest influence were household wealth, place of residence, maternal education and exposure to mass media. CONCLUSIONS: The MNCH continuum dropout rate is very high in the EAC countries. Maternal education, place of residence, and mass media exposure were common contributing factors to the drop out from MNCH continuum. The Random Forest had the highest predictive accuracy. Household wealth, place of residence, maternal education and exposure to mass media were ranked among the top four features with significant influence. The findings of this study can be used to support evidence-based decisions in MNCH interventions and to develop web-based services to improve continuity of care retention.

Equity assessment of maternal and child healthcare benefits utilization and distribution in public healthcare facilities in Bangladesh: a benefit incidence analysis.

BACKGROUND: The distribution of healthcare services should be based on the needs of the population, regardless of their ability to pay. Achieving universal health coverage implies first ensuring that people of all income levels have access to quality healthcare, and then allocating resources reasonably considering individual need. Hence, this study aims to understand how public benefits in Bangladesh are currently distributed among wealth quintiles considering different layers of healthcare facilities and to assess the distributional impact of public benefits. METHODS: To conduct this study, data were extracted from the recent Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18. We performed benefit incidence analysis to determine the distribution of maternal and child healthcare utilization in relation to wealth quintiles. Disaggregated and national-level public benefit incidence analysis was conducted by the types of healthcare services, levels of healthcare facilities, and overall utilization. Concentration curves and concentration indices were estimated to measure the equity in benefits distribution. RESULTS: An unequal utilization of public benefits observed among the wealth quintiles for maternal and child healthcare services across the different levels of healthcare facilities in Bangladesh. Overall, upper two quintiles (richest 19.8% and richer 21.7%) utilized more benefits from public facilities compared to the lower two quintiles (poorest 18.9% and poorer 20.1%). Benefits utilization from secondary level of health facilities was highly pro-rich, while benefit utilization found pro-poor at primary levels. The public benefits in Bangladesh were also not distributed according to the needs of the population; nevertheless, poorest 20% household cannot access 20% share of public benefits in most of the maternal and child healthcare services even if we ignore their needs. CONCLUSIONS: Benefit incidence analysis in public health spending demonstrates the efficacy with which the government allocates constrained health resources to satisfy the needs of the poor. Public health spending in Bangladesh on maternal and child healthcare services were not equally distributed among wealth quintiles. Overall health benefits were more utilized by the rich relative to the poor. Hence, policymakers should prioritize redistribution of resources by targeting the socioeconomically vulnerable segments of the population to increase their access to health services to meet their health needs.

Inequity of maternal-child health services in ASEAN member states from 1993 to 2021.

INTRODUCTION: Inequity in maternal-child health services is a challenge to global health as it hinders the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage. Though the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has made remarkable achievements in maternal-child health, there remain gaps in reaching global goals. This study aimed to compare and investigate the inequity in maternal-child health (MCH) services in ASEAN member states to help guide policy decisions to improve equitable health services in the SDG era and beyond. METHODS: Using the WHO Health Inequality Monitor, we identified inequity summary measures for five MCH services in ASEAN member states from 1993 to 2021: antenatal care, births attended by skilled health personnel, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) immunization, measles immunization, and polio immunization. We divided the analysis dimension of inequity into urban-rural inequity, economic status inequity, and sub-regional inequity. Trends of absolute and relative inequity in every dimension of MCH services in ASEAN member states were examined with the principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS: The mean coverages of MCH services are 98.80% (Thailand), 86.72% (Cambodia), 84.54% (Viet Nam), 78.52 (Indonesia), 76.94% (Timor-Leste), 72.40% (Lao PDR), 68.10% (Philippines) and 48.52% (Myanmar) in 2021. Thailand have the lowest MCH services absolute inequity indexes of -1.945, followed by Vietnam (-1.449). Lao PDR and Myanmar have relatively higher MCH services absolute inequity indexes of 0.852 and 0.054 respectively. The service in Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines is pro-specific regions (with subnational region absolute inequity indexes of -0.02, 0.01, and 1.01 respectively). The service in Myanmar is pro-rich (with economic status absolute inequity index of 0.43). The service in Lao PDR and Timor-Leste is pro-urban areas, pro-rich, and pro-specific regions. CONCLUSION: The inequity of MCH services in ASEAN persists but is in a declining trend. Thailand and Vietnam have performed well in ensuring MCH services equity, while Laos and Myanmar are still facing serious inequity dilemmas. The progress of MCH service equity in Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Indonesia is uneven. It is acceptable to learn from the successful experiences of Thailand and Vietnam to improve the equities in other ASEAN countries. Policies should be developed according to the specific types of MCH inequity in member states to improve equity levels.

Desafios da implementação da rede cegonha: reflexões sobre planejamento e avaliação dos serviços de acolhimento com classificação de risco obstétrico / Challenges of the implementation of the Stork Network: reflections on planning and evaluation of reception services with obstetric risk classification / Desafíos de la implementación de la Red Cigüeña: reflexiones sobre la planificación y evaluación de servicios de acogida con clasificación de riesgo obstétrico

Considerando o ciclo das Políticas públicas, o planejamento e a avaliação são elementos cruciais, favorecendo organização e julgamento de valor a respeito de uma intervenção ou sobre qualquer um dos seus componentes, envolvendo tanto quem faz uso dos serviços como quem produz os mesmos. Na perspectiva da melhoria da assistência prestada à mulher e ao recém-nascido na porta de entrada dos serviços de atenção materno-infantis, é realizado o Acolhimento com Classificação de Risco Obstétrico que cursa como uma ferramenta de apoio à tomada de decisão clínica que tem como intuito a identificação da paciente crítica ou mais grave, permitindo um atendimento de maneira rápida e segura de acordo com o potencial de risco, com base nas evidências científicas existentes. Objetivo: Realizar uma reflexão teórica acerca dos avanços e limitações relacionados aoplanejamento e avaliação dos serviços deAcolhimento com Classificação de RiscoObstétrico.Metodologia:Trata-se de um estudo de caráter descritivo, em formato de artigo de reflexão, em que foram definidas duas dimensões categóricas que retratam o contexto do planejamento e avaliação dos serviços de Acolhimento com Classificação de RiscoObstétrico.Resultados:Percebemos que ainda é possível identificar muitas arestas no planejamento e na qualidade da prestação deste tipo de serviço, principalmente no que diz respeito à garantia da integralidade e do cuidado de acordo com as necessidades da mulher.Conclusões:Para que uma articulação entre os diferentes atores seja alcançada são necessárias estratégias de planejamento que tornem viável buscar a qualidade assistencial e que deem condições de avaliar essa assistência prestada (AU).

Considering the cycle of Public Policies, planning and evaluation are crucial elements, favoring organization and judgment of valuesregarding an intervention or any of its components, involving both those who use the services and those who produce them. With a view toimproving the care provided to women and newborns at the entranceto maternal and child care services, the Reception with Obstetric Risk Classification iscarried out as a tool to support clinical decision-making which aims to identify critical or more severe patients, allowing a quick and safe care according to the risk potential, based on existing scientific evidence.Objective:To carry out a theoretical reflection on the advances and limitations related to the planning and evaluation of Reception serviceswith Obstetric Risk Classification.Methodology:This is a descriptive study, in the form of a reflection article, in which two categorical dimensions were defined and that portray the context of planning and evaluation of Reception serviceswith Obstetric Risk Classification.Results:We realized that it is still possible to identify many edges in the planning and quality of the provision of this type of service, especially with regard to ensuring comprehensiveness and care according to the needs of women.Conclusions:In order to achieved thearticulation between the different actors, it is necessary to plan strategies that make it feasible to seek care quality and that provide conditions for evaluating this assistance provided (AU).

Considerando el ciclo de las Políticas Públicas, la planificación y la evaluación son elementos cruciales, favoreciendo la organización y el juicio de valor sobre una intervención o cualquiera de sus componentes, involucrando tanto a quienes utilizan los servicios como a quienes los producen. Con el objetivode mejorar la asistenciabrindadaa lasmujeresy recién nacidosen elingresoa los servicios de atención materno-infantil, se realiza laAcogidacon Clasificación de Riesgo Obstétrico como una herramienta de apoyo a la toma de decisiones clínicas que tiene como objetivo identificar las pacientes más graves, permitiendo una atención rápida y segura de acuerdo al potencial de riesgo, segúnla evidencia científica existente.Objetivo: Realizar una reflexión teórica sobre los avances y limitaciones relacionados con la planificación y evaluación de los servicios de Acogida con Clasificación de Riesgo Obstétrico.Metodología:Se trata de un estudio descriptivo, en forma de artículo de reflexión, en el que se definieron dos dimensiones categóricas que retratan el contexto de planificación y evaluación de los servicios de Acogida con Clasificación de Riesgo Obstétrico. Resultados: Percibimos que aún es posible identificar muchas asperezasen la planificación y calidad de la prestación de este tipo de servicio, especialmente en lo que se respectaa garantizar la integralidad y la atención acorde a las necesidades de las mujeres. Conclusiones: Para que se logre una articulación entre los diferentes actores, son necesarias estrategias de planificación que viabilicen la búsqueda de la calidad de la atención y que proporcionen condiciones para evaluar esta asistencia brindada (AU).

Exploring the accuracy of self-reported maternal and newborn care in select studies from low and middle-income country settings: do respondent and facility characteristics affect measurement?

BACKGROUND: Accurate data on the receipt of essential maternal and newborn health interventions is necessary to interpret and address gaps in effective coverage. Validation results of commonly used content and quality of care indicators routinely implemented in international survey programs vary across settings. We assessed how respondent and facility characteristics influenced the accuracy of women's recall of interventions received in the antenatal and postnatal periods. METHODS: We synthesized reporting accuracy using data from a known sample of validation studies conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, which assessed the validity of women's self-report of received antenatal care (ANC) (N = 3 studies, 3,169 participants) and postnatal care (PNC) (N = 5 studies, 2,462 participants) compared to direct observation. For each study, indicator sensitivity and specificity are presented with 95% confidence intervals. Univariate fixed effects and bivariate random effects models were used to examine whether respondent characteristics (e.g., age group, parity, education level), facility quality, or intervention coverage level influenced the accuracy of women's recall of whether interventions were received. RESULTS: Intervention coverage was associated with reporting accuracy across studies for the majority (9 of 12) of PNC indicators. Increasing intervention coverage was associated with poorer specificity for 8 indicators and improved sensitivity for 6 indicators. Reporting accuracy for ANC or PNC indicators did not consistently differ by any other respondent or facility characteristic. CONCLUSIONS: High intervention coverage may contribute to higher false positive reporting (poorer specificity) among women who receive facility-based maternal and newborn care while low intervention coverage may contribute to false negative reporting (lower sensitivity). While replication in other country and facility settings is warranted, results suggest that monitoring efforts should consider the context of care when interpreting national estimates of intervention coverage.

Maternal satisfaction with emergency obstetric and newborn care services in Ethiopia and the associated factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In approximately 15% of all pregnancies, a potentially fatal complication that necessitates medical attention arises, requiring a significant obstetrical intervention for the pregnant women to survive. Between 70% and 80% of maternal life-threating complication have been treated through emergency obstetric and newborn services. This study investigates women's satisfaction with emergency obstetric and newborn care services in Ethiopia and factors associated with their satisfaction. METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched electronic databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, HINARI, Scopus, and Web of Sciences for primary studies. A standardized data collection measurement tool was used to extract the data. STATA 11 statistical software was used to analyze the data, and I2 tests were used to evaluate heterogeneity. The pooled prevalence of maternal satisfaction was predicted using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Eight studies were included. The pooled prevalence of maternal satisfaction with emergency obstetric and neonatal care services was 63.15% (95% confidence interval: 49.48-76.82). Age (odds ratio = 2.88, 95% confidence interval: 1.62-5.12), presence of birth companion (odds ratio = 2.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.34-5.29), satisfaction with health workers' attitudes (odds ratio = 4.02, 95% confidence interval: 2.91-5.55), educational status (odds ratio = 3.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.42-9.08), length of stay at health facility (odds ratio = 3.71, 95% confidence interval: 2.79-4.94), and antenatal care visits (odds ratio = 2.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.52-3.24) were associated with maternal satisfaction with emergency obstetric and neonatal care service. CONCLUSION: This study found a low level of overall maternal satisfaction with emergency obstetric and neonatal care services. To increase maternal satisfaction and utilization, the government should focus on improving the standards of emergency maternal, obstetric, and newborn care by identifying gaps in maternal satisfaction regarding the services provided by healthcare professionals.

Sífilis na gravidez e adequabilidade de tratamento: análise das pacientes atendidas em uma maternidade / Syphilis in pregnancy and suitability of treatment: analysis of patients seen at a maternity hospital

Objetivo: Avaliar a adequabilidade do tratamento de sífilis gestacional e fatores associados ao tratamento inadequado. Métodos: Estudo de coorte. Pacientes realizaram testes rápidos para sífilis e responderam ao questionário estruturado. A normalidade dos dados foi analisada com Kolmogorov-Smirnov. Para associação entre adequação do tratamento e fatores sociodemográficos e clínicos, foi executado o teste Exato de Fisher. Teste t de Student para amostras independentes foi executado para comparar o número de consultas pré-natal entre pacientes que apresentaram ou não adequação ao tratamento. Foi executada regressão logística para avaliar em que medida a adequação e a efetividade ao tratamento poderiam ser adequadamente previstas por número de consultas pré-natal. O nível de significância foi 5%. O projeto foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa. Resultados: Participaram 560 pacientes. Trinta e três foram diagnosticadas com sífilis, e 29 foram adequadamente tratadas. Houve associação entre adequação do tratamento e consultas pré-natal. Os achados do teste t de Student corroboram os resultados encontrados no teste Exato de Fisher. O modelo de regressão demonstrou que mulheres que fazem pré-natal têm maior chance de tratamento adequado. Conclusão: O pré-natal aumenta a chance de tratamento adequado para sífilis na gestação

Objective: To assess the adequacy of treatment for gestational syphilis and factors associated with inadequate treatment. Methods: Cohort study. Patients underwent rapid tests for syphilis and answered the structured questionnaire. Data normality was analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov. For the association between treatment adequacy and sociodemographic and clinical factors, Fisher's exact test was performed. Student's t test for independent samples was performed to compare the number of prenatal visits between patients who were or were not fit for treatment. Logistic regression was performed to assess the extent to which treatment adequacy and effectiveness could be adequately predicted by prenatal visit number. The significance level was 5%. The project was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee. Results: 560 patients participated. 33 were diagnosed with syphilis, 29 were adequately treated. There was an association between treatment adequacy and prenatal consultation. The student's t test findings corroborate those found in Fisher's Exact test. The regression model showed that women who undergo prenatal care have a greater chance of adequate treatment. Conclusion: Prenatal care increases the chance of adequate treatment for syphilis during pregnancy

Decomposing inequality in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: About 75.5% of women in Nepal's urban areas receive at least four ANC visits, compared to 61.7% of women in the country's rural areas. Similarly, just 34% of women in the lowest wealth quintile give birth in a medical facility compared to 90% of women in the richest group. As a result of this inequality, the poor in emerging nations suffer since those who are better off can make greater use of the healthcare than those who are less fortunate. This study aims to examine and decompose the contributions of various socioeconomic factors towards MCH service inequality in Nepal in the years 2011 and 2016. METHODS: Inequality in MCH services was estimated using concentration curves and their corresponding indices using data from Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2011 and 2016. We examined the inequality across three MCH service outcomes: less than 4 ANC visits, no postnatal checkups within 2 months of delivery and no SBA delivery and decomposed them across observed characteristics of the mothers aged between 15 and 49. Furthermore, Oaxaca-blinder decomposition approach was used to measure and decompose the inequality differential between two time periods. RESULTS: Inequality in MCH services was prevalent for all 3 MCH outcomes in 2011 and 2016, respectively. However, the concentration indices for <4 ANC visits, no SBA delivery, and no postnatal checkups within 2 months of birth increased from -0.2184, -0.1643, and -0.1284 to -0.1871, -0.0504, and -0.0218 correspondingly, showing the decrease in MCH services inequality over two time periods. Wealth index, women's literacy, place of living, mother's employment status, and problem of distance to reach nearest health facility were the main contributors. CONCLUSION: We find that MCH services are clearly biased towards the women with higher living standards. National policies should focus on empowering women through education and employment, along with the creation of health facilities and improved educational institutions, in order to address inequalities in living standards, women's education levels, and the problem of distance. Leveraging these factors can reduce inequality in MCH services.