Study Status: Not yet recruiting
Recruit Status: Not yet recruiting
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Increasing Women's Access to Skilled Pregnancy Care to Reduce Maternal and Perinatal Mortality in Nigeria: A Randomized Control Trial
Brief Summary:
Background: Nigeria has the second highest absolute number of maternal deaths and perinatal deaths in the world. The country contributes 14% of all maternal deaths worldwide, second only to India. Although all parts of the country are affected, most maternal, and perinatal deaths occur in the northeast and northwest geo-political zones, where women have limited access to evidence-based maternal and newborn health services. Affected women and families are mainly those who have little or no formal education, who are poor and marginalized, and who live in rural and sub-urban communities.
Problem: Research carried out in various regions of Nigeria has shown that insufficient access to pregnancy health services is a major factor that places women at high risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Maternal care provided within Nigeria's numerous local Primary Health Centres (PHCs) is an efficient and practical avenue for reaching vulnerable women and their newborn infants, and PHC use is strongly encouraged by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health.
Research Question and Objective: The key research question and objectives are as follows: 1) To determine the main factors that prevent vulnerable women from using PHCs or receiving maternal and neonatal care therein; 2) To identify effective community level interventions for improving women's access to maternal health services, as a means to reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in Nigeria.
Methodology: This study will complete a community-based, multi-site project using a mixed methods approach. The project will be done in three sequential phases: A data gathering phase (Phase 1), an intervention phase (Phase 2), and the implementation of the findings (Phase 3). The study will be conducted over 54-months in si