Reaching Vulnerable Women through Maternity Waiting Homes in Malawi

Citation

Singh, Kavita; Speizer, Ilene S.; Kim, Eunsoo Timothy; Lemani, Clara; & Phoya, Ann (2017). Reaching Vulnerable Women through Maternity Waiting Homes in Malawi. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 136(1), 91-97.

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether two maternity waiting homes (MWHs) supported by the Safe Motherhood Initiative are reaching vulnerable women during the early phase of their implementation.
Methods: A cross-sectional interview-based study was conducted among women who attended two centers in Malawi with attached MWHs (Area 25 Health Centre, Lilongwe; and Kasungu District Hospital, Kasungu). Between April and June 2015, exit interviews were conducted among MWH users and non-users.
Results: Compared with non-users, MWH users at Area 25 were significantly more likely to report a prior spontaneous abortion (10/46 [21.7%] vs 5/95 [5.3%]; P=0.006) and to be in the lowest wealth quintile (4/87 [4.6%] vs 0/150; P=0.029). Although not significant, a greater percentage of MWH users at Kasungu District Hospital than non-users had a prior stillbirth (6/84 [7.1%] vs 0/77) or spontaneous abortion (3/84 [3.6%] vs 2/77 [2.6%]), and were in the lowest wealth quintile (15/175 [8.6%] vs 5/141 [3.5%]). MWH users at Kasungu lived further from the hospital than did non-MWH users, although the difference was not significant (mean 6.81±9.1 km vs 4.05±7.42 km; P=0.067).
Conclusion: MWHs offer a promising strategy to reduce maternal mortality in Malawi and other low-income countries.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.12013

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2017

Journal Title

International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics

Author(s)

Singh, Kavita
Speizer, Ilene S.
Kim, Eunsoo Timothy
Lemani, Clara
Phoya, Ann

ORCiD

Speizer - 0000-0001-6204-1316
Singh, K - 0000-0001-8670-2262