Community Medicine Research Department, National Research Centre, Giza, 12411, Egypt.
Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University of Egypt, Giza, Egypt.
Int J Equity Health. 2019 Sep 18;18(1):146. doi: 10.1186/s12939-019-1042-y.
In 2012, the WHO described the quality of health care as the route to equity and dignity for women and children.
To provide community based support and empowerment to women in childbearing period to seek optimal prenatal, natal and postnatal healthcare. Achieving this is anticipated to decrease maternal morbidity and mortality in Egypt.
An interventional study was conducted among women in childbearing period in the poorest two governorates of Upper Egypt. The study passed through three stages over three and a half years; pre-interventional assessment of awareness (n = 1000), educational interventions targeting the health providers and all women in childbearing period in their communities (n = 20,494), and post-intervention evaluation of change in awareness of their rights for prenatal, natal and postnatal care (no = 1150).
The studied indicators relating to receiving care in pregnancy, labor, and puerperium have changed dramatically as a result of the study interventions. Results of the study showed that before interventions, the surveyed women had inaccurate knowledge regarding most of the items related to their rights. The percentages of women aware of their right to have pregnancy card increased and those who possessed a pregnancy card were doubled with a significant percent change of more than 25%. Some indicators showed more than 75% improvement, including; percent of surveyed women who knew that it's their right to follow up their pregnancy and to deliver with a specialized doctor, a trained nurse or at an equipped health facility, and those who knew their right to have at least two home preparations necessary for safe delivery at home.
More work is needed in order to achieve the targeted reduction of maternal mortality. This could be achieved by ensuring accessible and high quality care provided by the governmental health facilities together with increasing the awareness of women regarding their rights in receiving such care.
2012 年,世界卫生组织将医疗保健质量描述为妇女和儿童平等和尊严的途径。
为生育期妇女提供以社区为基础的支持和赋权,以寻求最佳的产前、分娩和产后医疗保健。预计这将降低埃及的孕产妇发病率和死亡率。
在埃及最贫困的上埃及两个省的生育期妇女中进行了一项干预性研究。该研究经过三年半的三个阶段;在干预前评估了意识(n=1000),针对卫生提供者和社区中所有生育期妇女进行了教育干预(n=20494),并在干预后评估了她们对产前、分娩和产后保健权利的意识变化(n=1150)。
由于研究干预,与妊娠、分娩和产褥期护理相关的研究指标发生了巨大变化。研究结果表明,在干预之前,接受调查的妇女对大多数与自身权利相关的项目缺乏准确的认识。有妊娠卡的妇女比例增加了一倍,持有妊娠卡的妇女比例增加了两倍,变化幅度超过 25%。一些指标的改善超过了 75%,包括:知道她们有权在妊娠期间随访、由专科医生、经过培训的护士或在配备齐全的医疗机构分娩的妇女比例;知道她们有权在家中进行至少两次必要的家庭准备以确保安全分娩的妇女比例。
为了实现降低孕产妇死亡率的目标,还需要做更多的工作。这可以通过确保政府卫生机构提供可及和高质量的护理,并提高妇女对获得此类护理的权利的认识来实现。