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For many pregnant women, completing the recommended eight antenatal care (ANC) contacts is not simply a question of knowing when to visit a health facility. The cost of transport, medical tests, medicines and other services can determine whether a mother returns for her next appointment or drops out of care.
Dr Lillian Otiso, Executive Director of Lvcthealth, says Kenya must address these financial barriers and improve the quality of maternal health services if more women are to complete the eight contacts recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Drawing from the four-year C-It DU-It project implemented in Homa Bay County, she says community health promoters had helped identify pregnant women early, educate them and link them to health facilities. However, the gains risk being undermined when women arrive at hospitals only to encounter unavailable services or unexpected charges.
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