Trends and determinants of late antenatal care initiation in three East African countries, 2007–2016

What is it about?

The study is focused on investigating the trends of late initiation of care during pregnancy among women in East African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya and Tanzania. Early antenatal care is critical for the health of both the mother and the newborn. Antenatal care is often delayed in sub-Saharan Africa including East Africa.

Featured Image

Photo by Ryan Franco on Unsplash

Photo by Ryan Franco on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Early antenatal care registration assists health providers in providing timely information and medications based on the pregnant mother's health. During the first antenatal care visit, health issues such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis are screened, and early detection of these conditions improves the unborn child's health and survival. Furthermore, if initiated early in pregnancy, therapies such as iron supplementation and immunization can be life-saving for both mothers and newborn babies. Latecomers to antenatal care miss out on critical health information and interventions. Recent studies in the DRC, Kenya, and Tanzania have also found low early antenatal care uptake, though trends in late antenatal care uptake have not been thoroughly investigated. Understanding how pregnant women's late care-seeking behavior has changed over time is critical for guiding current and future strategic policy actions aimed at improving timely antenatal care initiation.

Perspectives