Druidaza: Women’s perceptions about ante natal care access, Marrere Hospital, Nampula, Mozambique, 2014.

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Assim, remetido ao menor denominador comum, como de costume, não me resta outra alternativa. Bom...será o destino? Não creio, mais o desafio, o inédito, o piloto, invenção, como de costume, em resposta a emoções e sentimentos de pessoas. A Pessoa é de facto o único bem possível. Se cumprir e desempenhar as suas atribuições e competencias Mas para tal, importa reunir várias condições. Contamos com o apoio de alguns, diria mais até algumas, directamente interessadas. Mas não chega. Os conhecedores técnicos estão muito longe e a tecnologia disponível é pouco adaptada. No entanto, o espírito da raça controla os desígnios principais, sobreviver e reproduzir-se – não há planeamento familiar que lhes resista!

quarta-feira, 8 de junho de 2016

Women’s perceptions about ante natal care access, Marrere Hospital, Nampula, Mozambique, 2014.

Autores:

P Pires, D João, E Mureheira, A Baptista, C Jemussene, D Basílio, S Bethe, V Nicuta

Abstract

Introduction: mother and newborn mortality rates in Mozambique are the highest in the Eastern African region. Less than four ante natal visits and lack of institutional delivery by trained birth attendants named in the literature as major causes of maternal and newborn deaths. This study aims to understand the perceptions of women in Marrere, Nampula, regarding ante natal care and determine the barriers to accessing primary health care services.

Methods: descriptive qualitative study, with researcher led semi structured interviews of pregnant women and women who have given birth within the last year who presented to the Marrere Hospital Mother and Child Health clinic.

Results: we interviewed a total of 30 women, 25 were in their 3^rd trimester of pregnancy and five had given birth within the last year. The 30 women had an average age of 24 years and 3,7 pregnancies per women. The group has weak knowledge about ante natal care (13 women, 43%); women query late for ante natal care, mostly in pregnancy second trimester (18 women, 60%). Illiterates are predominant (16 women, 53%). Participants (9) point “bad luck” as an abortion cause and the majority (25 women, 83%) says witchcraft is a strong risk for pregnancies and abortion, making them to hide pregnancy and wait a late moment to seek ante natal care.

Discussion: the barriers to ante natal care access for women in Marrere most commonly mentioned in our study were: 1) lack of knowledge regarding reproductive health and ante natal care; 2) fear of witchcraft so women don’t tell anyone they are pregnant and only come to antenatal visits later in pregnancy or not at all; 3) social and economic difficulties, as lack of decision power in the family and no or low income, as reported by other studies in Mozambique. The majority of this group points the fear of witchcraft as a main reason for late ante natal care.

Conclusion: solutions for knowledge deficit and witchcraft beliefs would be to involve traditional healers, traditional birth attendants, priest, community members and pregnant women in ongoing mother and child health care promotion and education. Using a train the trainer method to enhance health care promotion could be effective.

Key words: ante natal query, access, barriers, pregnancy risk, maternal health, Nampula, Mozambique.