Knowledge of obstetric danger signs and birth preparedness and complications readiness among mobile Pokot nomadic pastoralist pregnant women in Tiaty Sub-County, Baringo County-Kenya.

BACKGROUND

Maternal mortality in Kenya remains unacceptably high. Mobile pastoralist communities, Pokot community included take the greatest burden of these maternal deaths. Knowledge of obstetric danger signs is important for the prevention of pregnancy and birth complications as it influences pregnant women to prepare for birth and complications. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of obstetrics danger signs and their effect on Birth Preparedness and complications Readiness among mobile Pokot nomadic pastoralist in Kenya.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 275 pregnant Pokot nomadic pastoralist women using a multistage sampling technique. Chi-square (X) was used to test the association between categorical variables and a P-value of < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Majority of the women demonstrated a high level of knowledge regarding obstetric danger signs, with 80% (n = 220) recognizing these danger signs during pregnancy and 69.1% (n = 190) during labour. However, despite this awareness, the overall Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPCR) remained low, with only 28% (n = 77) adequately prepared and 77% (n = 212) were unprepared.

CONCLUSION

High awareness of obstetric danger signs among Pokot pastoralist women has not translated into adequate birth preparedness and complication readiness. To reduce maternal mortality especially in these pastoralists and unsettled communities where services are unpredictable and disrupted by frequent movements, government and other stakeholders must implement powerful, targeted actions that address their unique challenges such as robust mobile clinics and outreach services, community based birth preparedness programs, emergency transport networks, maternity waiting homes, improved referral systems, culturally sensitive health education and policy and infrastructural investments. These bold, community-centered interventions can significantly reduce maternal deaths and improve maternal health outcomes among Kenya's pastoral populations.