Free Maternal Health Care Policy Research Articles

Satisfaction with Delivery Services Offered under the Free Maternal Healthcare Policy in Kenyan Public Health Facilities.

Background Patients' satisfaction is an individual's positive assessment regarding a distinct dimension of healthcare and the perception about the quality of services offered in that health facility. Patients who are not satisfied with healthcare services in a certain health facility will bypass the facility and are unlikely to seek treatment in that facility. Objective To determine satisfaction level of mothers with the free maternal services in selected Kenyan public health facilities after the implementation of the free maternal healthcare policy. Methods Data was collected through a quantitative exit survey questionnaire. The respondents were mothers who had delivered in the health facilities and were waiting to leave the health facilities after discharge. The sample included 2,216 mothers in 77 public health facilities across 14 counties in Kenya under tier 3 and tier 4 categories. The number of respondents to be interviewed was proportionately arrived at based on each health facility's bed capacity. Results The study established a satisfaction rate of 54.5% among the beneficiaries of the free maternal healthcare services in the country. Mothers benefiting from the free delivery services were satisfied with communication by the healthcare workers, staff availability in the delivery rooms, availability of staff in the wards, and drug and supplies availability (>56%) but unsatisfied with consultation time, cleanliness, and privacy in the wards (<56%). High education levels and lengthy stay in healthcare facilities were negatively associated with the satisfaction with the free delivery services (P < 0.05). Conclusion There is a high satisfaction with the free maternal healthcare services in Kenya. However, the implementation of the free maternal healthcare policy was associated with low privacy, poor hygiene, and low consultation time in the health facilities. Therefore there is need to address these service gaps so as to attract more mothers to deliver in public health facilities.

The effect of Kenya’s free maternal health care policy on the utilization of skilled delivery services and maternal and neonatal mortality rates in public health facilities

Background: Kenya abolished delivery fees in all public health facilities through a presidential directive effective on June 1, 2013 with an aim of promoting skilled delivery service utilization and reducing pregnancy-related mortality in the country. This paper aims to provide a brief overview of the free maternal health care policy’s effect on skilled delivery service utilization and maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Kenyan public health facilities. Methods: Interrupted time series analysis of skilled delivery services utilization, maternal and neonatal mortality rates two years before and after the policy intervention was carried out in 77 Kenyan public health facilities. Results: A statistically significant increase in the number of facility-based deliveries was identified with no significant changes in the rates of maternal mortality and neonatal mortality. Conclusions: The findings suggest that cost is a deterrent to skilled delivery service utilization in Kenya and thus free delivery services are an important strategy in the effort to promote the utilization of skilled delivery services; however, there is a need to simultaneously address other factors that contribute to pregnancy-related deaths when addressing maternal and neonatal mortality rates.

Determinants of use of supervised delivery care under Ghana's fee exemption policy for maternal healthcare: the case of the Central Region.

BackgroundImproving access to supervised and emergency obstetric care resources through fee reduction/exemption maternity care initiatives has been touted as one major strategy to avoiding preventable maternal deaths. Evaluations on the effect of Ghana’s fee exemption policy for maternal healthcare have largely focused on how it has influenced health outcomes and patterns of use of supervised care with little attention to understanding the main factors influencing use. This study therefore sought to explore the main individual and health system factors influencing use of delivery care services under the policy initiative in the Central Region.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using 412 mothers with children aged less than one year in one largely rural and another largely urban districts in the Central Region of Ghana from September to December 2013. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey on the socio-demographic characteristics of mothers, their knowledge and use of care under the fee free policy. Chi-square and Binary Logistic Regression tests were used to evaluate the main determinants of delivery care use under the policy.ResultsOut of the 412 mothers interviewed, 268 (65 %) reported having delivered their most recent birth under the fee exemption policy even though awareness about the policy was almost universal 401 (97.3 %) among respondents. Utilization however differed for the two study districts. Respondents in the Cape Coast Metropolis (largely urban) used delivery service more (75.7 %) than those in the largely rural Assin North Municipal area (54.4 %).Binary logistic regression results identified maternal age, parity, religion, place of residence, awareness and knowledge about the fee exemption policy for maternal healthcare as significantly associated with the likelihood of delivery care use under the policy. The likelihood of using supervised delivery care under the policy was lower for mothers aged 20–29 compared to those in the age bracket of 40–49 (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.069, p = 0.003). For their index (last child), mothers who already had 1, 2 or 3 births were more likely to deliver under the policy than those with five or more births.Mothers living in urban areas were 3.79 times more likely to use delivery services under the policy than those living in rural areas (OR = 3.793, p = 0.000). The likelihood of using delivery services under the policy was higher for mothers who were aware and had full knowledge of the total benefit package of the policy (OR = 13.820, p = 0.022 and OR = 2.985, p = 0.001 for awareness and full knowledge respectively).ConclusionsDelivery service use under the free maternal healthcare policy is relatively low (65 %) when compared with nearly universal awareness (97.3 %) about the policy. Factors influencing delivery service use under the policy operate at both individual and policy implementation levels. Effective interventions to improve delivery service use under the policy should target the underlying individual and health policy implementation factors identified in the study.

Impact of NHIS free maternal healthcare policy on utilization of maternal care services in Ghana

Impact of NHIS free maternal healthcare policy on utilization of maternal care services in Ghana

Chasing out traditional birth attendants in Ghana – implications for maternal and newborn health

This paper reflects on a growing shift away from the training and use of traditional birth attendants (TBAS) to provide maternity care services in Ghana and calls for greater collaboration between TBAs and the health system in Ghana. The paper communicates personal reflections based on experiences working with communities to address barriers to maternal and newborn health care services in Ghana. It also draws on evidence from a larger research study examining the effects of Ghana’s free maternal healthcare policy on women’s maternity care seeking experience, equity of access and barriers to accessibility and utilization of maternal and newborn healthcare services. The design of this larger study involved analysis of nationally representative, retrospective household survey data in combination with qualitative exploration using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, case studies and structured field observations in a total of six communities between November 2011 and May 2012. The study was comprised of 185 expectant and lactating mothers, 15 traditional birth attendants and 20 healthcare providers (i.e. community health nurses, midwives, doctors, health facility managers, district and regional directors of health, district and regional public health nurses, policy makers at the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Services).

Determinants of utilization of antenatal care services in developing countries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to estimate the key socio‐economic and demographic factors influencing the utilization of antenatal care services in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilizes the most recent Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS V) data. The dependent variable is the intensity of utilization (number) of antenatal care visits. Hence, the negative binomial regression is employed to investigate the socio‐economic and demographic correlates of the intensity of antenatal care utilization in Ghana.FindingsThe study finds that wealth status, age, ownership of health insurance (especially for rural women), educational attainment, birth order, religion and administrative region of residence are significant predictors of the intensity of antenatal care services utilization. In particular, the utilization rate increases in wealth status. The authors also found significant statistical relationship between residence and antenatal care utilization. This finding reinforces the differences in health facilities between the rural and urban areas of Ghana. The authors did not, however, find evidence for proxies for financial and physical access.Research limitations/implicationsThe GDHS survey lacks data on the distance to the nearest health facility where ANC is sought and a variable for the price of ANC visit. Proxies had to be used to capture these variables.Practical implicationsThe fact that ownership of health insurance in rural areas increases the number of ANC visits makes it imperative to intensify health insurance awareness and enrollment campaigns in the rural areas so as to bridge the rural‐urban gap in ANC utilization. Also, while the free maternal health care policy for expecting mothers is laudable, a minimum level of wealth is required to induce antenatal care visitations. This is because household wealth status still plays a major role even in a free maternal health regime.Originality/valueA new finding of the paper is the significant effect that ownership of health insurance has on the utilization of ANC services among rural women. While generally rural women have a lower propensity to use ANC services compared to urban women, the intensity of usage of ANC services tends to increase for rural women who own health insurance.

Wealth and antenatal care use: implications for maternal health care utilisation in Ghana

The study investigates the effect of wealth on maternal health care utilization in Ghana via its effect on Antenatal care use. Antenatal care serves as the initial point of contact of expectant mothers to maternal health care providers before delivery. The study is pivoted on the introduction of the free maternal health care policy in April 2005 in Ghana with the aim of reducing the financial barrier to the use of maternal health care services, to help reduce the high rate of maternal deaths. Prior to the introduction of the policy, studies found wealth to have a positive and significant influence on the use of Antenatal care. It is thus expected that with the policy, wealth should not influence the use of maternal health care significantly. Using secondary data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health survey, the results have revealed that wealth still has a significant influence on adequate use of Antenatal care. Education, age, number of living children, transportation and health insurance are other factors that were found to influence the use of Antenatal care in Ghana. There also exist considerable variations in the use of Antenatal care in the geographical regions and between the rural and urban dwellers. It is recommended that to improve the use of Antenatal care and hence maternal health care utilization, some means of support is provided especially to women within the lowest wealth quintiles, like the provision and availability of recommended medication at the health center; secondly, women should be encouraged to pursue education to at least the secondary level since this improves their use of maternal health services. Policy should also target mothers who have had the experience of child birth on the need to use adequate Antenatal care for each pregnancy, since these mothers tend to use less antenatal care for subsequent pregnancies. The regional disparities found may be due to inaccessibility and unavailability of health facilities and services in the rural areas and in some of the regions. The government and other service providers (NGOs, religious institutions and private providers) may endeavor to improve on the distribution of health facilities, human resources, good roads and necessary infrastructure among other things in order to facilitate easy access to health care providers especially for the rural dwellers.