Lifting the veil on disrespect and abuse in facility-based child birth care: findings from South West Nigeria

Macellina Y Ijadunola,Omowunmi C Fasae,Ezeomu Audrina Olotu,Olaitan O Oyedun,Ayotomiwa T Fagbemi,Stanley O Eferakeya,Faith I Ilesanmi

doi:10.1186/s12884-019-2188-8

Abstract

BackgroundEliminating disrespect and abuse in health care facilities during childbirth could be a contributory factor in improving pregnancy outcomes and avoiding preventable illnesses and deaths. This study aims to provide evidence of disrespect and abuse in this community in order to create awareness about its occurrence.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out on 384 recently delivered women who visited the postnatal and immunization clinics of a primary and tertiary health facility in Ile-Ife. Information was sought about awareness of disrespect and abuse, prevalence and forms of disrespect and abuse, and opinions on improvements which can be made in maternity services. Univariate analysis was used to summarise the data.ResultsAbout half of the respondents were in their fourth decade of life and had tertiary education. Overall, the majority (98.4%) of respondents agreed that it was their right to be treated with respect and dignity during childbirth while about one-fifth (19%) had ever experienced some form of disrespect and abuse. The commonly identified forms of disrespect and abuse were: non-dignified care (12.8%), discrimination (8.1%), a detention and abandonment (6%). However, the majority (81%) of the respondents did not have any suggestions for improvements in delivery services.ConclusionsAlthough most of the respondents knew it was their right to be treated with respect, some reported that they had experienced disrespect and abuse during childbirth in varying forms. The evidence from this survey draws attention to the need for interventions to address the health system factors hindering health service utilization.

Highlights

Eliminating disrespect and abuse in health care facilities during childbirth could be a contributory factor in improving pregnancy outcomes and avoiding preventable illnesses and deaths
In March 2010, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Translating Research into Action (TRAction) project, called for a meeting of public health and human rights governmental and non-governmental organisations who were active in maternal health issues to review the subject of respectful and disrespectful birth care including abusive maternal care [1]
Respondents were recruited for the survey at the postnatal and immunization clinics of a primary and a tertiary public health facility in Ile-Ife, Osun state and these were women who booked for antenatal care and had facility-based delivery in the selected facilities

Summary

Introduction

Eliminating disrespect and abuse in health care facilities during childbirth could be a contributory factor in improving pregnancy outcomes and avoiding preventable illnesses and deaths. In March 2010, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Translating Research into Action (TRAction) project, called for a meeting of public health and human rights governmental and non-governmental organisations who were active in maternal health issues to review the subject of respectful and disrespectful birth care including abusive maternal care [1]. This was motivated by the understanding that disrespect and abuse during childbirth involves human rights violations but is . According to WHO, Standards for improving the quality of maternal and newborn care in health facilities [4]:

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion