Evaluation of Postpartum Service Utilization and Causes for Non-Utilization among Governmental EPI Clinic Attendants in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

Maternal and neonatal death is still a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Most of this death occurs during the postnatal period. Evidences shown that, utilization of the recommended postnatal service is very important to reduce the current challenging maternal and neonatal death. Henceforth, the aim of this revision was to assess postnatal crisscross exploitation and its perceived root for non-utilization among governmental EPI health center attendants in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia. An institutional based, cross-sectional study was carried out in three randomly selected governmental heath institutions from Jan 1–30/2015. A total of 245 women who had delivered in the previous 12 months were asked to participate in the study using a semi-structured questionnaire. The proportion of women who had received the postnatal care after delivery was low (37%). Less than one in five women (19.6%) received care within 48 h, of giving birth. Lack of information, experience of bad approach of the care providers, no postnatal appointment, no perceived need for postnatal care by women and their families were the major reasons for not utilizing postnatal checkup. The result of this study shows that the postnatal service utilization was very low in the study area i.e., only 37% of the participant was utilized the service. Therefore, the researcher recommend that stake holders, policymakers and postnatal care providers should analysis the gap and able to improve postnatal service utilization in order to reduce postnatal death of the mothers and their newborn.

Keywords: Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia, postnatal checkup, participants

Cite this Article

Zemeneand Yitayih. Evaluation of Postpartum Service Utilization and Causes for Non-Utilization among Governmental EPI Clinic Attendants in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia. Research and Reviews: Journal of Medical Science and Technology. 2016; 5(1): 46–51p