The number of mothers giving birth at home in rural parts of Zambia stands at 25 percent despite the numerous health facilities that have been constructed in all the districts.
This means that three out of 12 deliveries in most rural areas are conducted at home by unskilled birth attendants.
The Preliminary Baseline Results of the Child Health Targets Impact Study (chTIS) has revealed that the proportion deliveries conducted at home was significantly higher in rural areas reaching 25 percent.
The study indicates that of those who gave birth at home, about half informed the researchers that either the facility was too far or there was no transportation available to take them to the health facilities.
The study however shows that deliveries conducted by trained providers who include doctors and nurses were about 70 percent of the mothers.
Despite not giving birth from the health facilities, the study shows that the proportion of women who were checked after delivery was significantly higher reaching about 96 percent.
And the study shows that the rates of under-nutrition among children 0-59 months of age are quite high in all the areas where the study was conducted.
The University of Zambia’s Institute of Economic and Social Research researcher, Richard Zulu yesterday presented this research paper result which was conducted in Luampa, Magoye and Nyimba areas.
The Child Health Target Impact Study is a five year research between World Vision and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health which has been running from 2012 and will come to a close in 2017.
The study is designed to measure the impact of World Vision’s maternal, neonatal and child health and nutrition programmes on the health of mothers, babies and children.
Because Zambians are the least intelligent people arguably in Africa
Sadly.
Thanks
Wel done, would appreciate more if u went further to enlighten the public on the feto-maternal outcomes of the two groups as they would compare.25%, is it significant or what was your expected minimum percentage of home deliveries? What are your recommendations? Good works.
Even after delivering from home, 96 percent have been checked at an health institution logically, this entails the health professionals will guide the mothers of what next…. they are in good care. conclusion, there is no big problem. recommendations, teach expectant mothers to prepare adequately for them to be delivering from the health institutions which govt has and is still providing.
Causing; providing hospitals is not attached to one making a decision to seek medical attention, in Zambia, particularly rural areas need change in their mindsets and behaviour towards seeking medical attention. Do a study on health seeking behaviour on these people you will be surprised.