Barriers to Antenatal Care Services Seeking in Africa

Abstract

This review article has been conducted in order to evaluate the barriers to antenatal care seeking in African women. Six articles were reviewed in terms of the results and the relevance of recommendation made, thereafter further recommendations were made by the reviewers. According to a qualitative study about barriers and facilitators to antenatal delivery care carried out in western Kenya, study results showed some barriers to fully utilize ANC and delivery services by women included the fear of being tested positive with HIV/AIDS, attitudes of health care providers, long clinic waiting time and costs of both service cost and transport, access to health facility, the argument was that if government increases health facilities especially targeting areas in need, this can reduce both transport and TBAs seeking by the women and through VCT women’s awareness of living with HIV infection, avoiding self blaming it is normally achieved and ensures confidentiality thus promoting antenatal care seeking behaviors. A qualitative study titled as “Barriers and solutions for timely initiation of antenatal care in Kigali, Rwanda: Health facility professionals’ perspective” according to the reported barriers to timely antenatal care initiation by women in Kigali, Rwanda, health professionals highlighted lack of knowledge, experience with previous births, issues with male partners not willing/able to attend the clinic, poverty or problems with health insurance and antenatal care culture, encouraging to swear to practice legal marriage as laws suggest which can reduce irresponsible behaviors of men. The government should create opportunities for unemployed young adolescents where possible vocational trainings should be introduced, to avoid both young boys and girls getting in illegal marry due to lack of something to do. A study called they would never receive you without husband paradoxical barriers to antenatal scale up in Rwanda, highlighted that “come with your partner” for the first visit was a great barriers to attend ANC visits on fully and timely, and poor quality of care, limited men’s involvement throughout the pregnancy period, the argue was to men’s awareness of ANC role need to be increased not to be understood as HIV test. The study Awareness and barriers to utilization of maternal health care services among reproductive women” in Amassoma community, Bayelsa State Nigeria almost similar barriers were highlighted, the argument was the need for community based education to all women reproductive age and men. a study examining factors influencing the utilization of late antenatal care services in rural areas: a case study of kisoro district indicated barriers like female literacy; poverty, age of women, cultural beliefs, quality of care, availability of ANC alternatives and myths and misconceptions influenced the timing and utilization of ANC services, reviewers argued that there is also a need to establish laws against people marrying young adolescents where available then followed. The last article reviewed was barriers to antenatal use in Nigeria; evidences from non users and implication for maternal health programming, showed similar barriers to the first article except that getting permission from partners was highlighted . We argued that men should be educated alongside their wives to induce men feel responsible of mothers’ and infants’ safety.