Editorial
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has expressed concern over the continued low attendance of antenatal care (ANC) clinics among expectant mothers, despite extensive awareness campaigns encouraging early and consistent visits.
Dr Charles Olaro, the Director General of Health Services, said doctors recommend at least eight antenatal visits during pregnancy.
However, only about 68 per cent of expectant mothers attend half of these sessions, a shortfall that continues to undermine efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
A recent survey by the Ministry of Health revealed that 14% of expectant mothers still choose to give birth at home or with the help of Traditional Birth Attendants.
Dr Olaro said that the government’s priority is to ensure that none of the country’s estimated 1.6 million annual deliveries occur at home.
To achieve this, the Ministry of Health is scaling up the number of Health Centre IIIs to make maternal services more accessible to communities.
As part of its strategy, the ministry is training Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) to be stationed at the parish level.
Their role will be to identify expectant mothers early and link them to professional care.
Currently, forty-five per cent of mothers deliver at Health Centre IIIs, ten per cent at Health Centre IIs, and twenty-five per cent at Health Centre IVs.
