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Low uptake of maternal health care in a remote Chinese
region.
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| Article Type: | Report |
| Subject: |
Maternal health services
(Demographic aspects) Maternal health services (Social aspects) Mothers (Patient outcomes) Mothers (Risk factors) Mothers (Control) |
| Pub Date: | 11/01/2010 |
| Publication: | Name: Reproductive Health Matters Publisher: Elsevier Science Publishers Audience: General Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Family and marriage; Health; Women's issues/gender studies Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 Reproductive Health Matters ISSN: 0968-8080 |
| Issue: | Date: Nov, 2010 Source Volume: 18 Source Issue: 36 |
| Topic: | Event Code: 290 Public affairs |
| Geographic: | Geographic Scope: United States Geographic Code: 1USA United States |
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| Accession Number: | 247520192 |
| Full Text: |
Maternal mortality in China has dropped since 1990 but rates are
highest in rural and remote areas, where minority women live. This study
examines the maternal health-seeking practices of minority Yi and Mong
women in a remote, resource-constrained region of Sichuan Province. Data
were collected through semi-formal interviews with 56 women, including
seven traditional birth attendants, two male traditional healers/
astrologers who attend to pregnant and birthing women, five health
workers at the township hospital, six managers and staff at the County
Hospital, and two administrators at the County Bureau of Health.
Opportunistic observations and informal interviews were conducted with
maternal and child health workers from other township hospitals and
village health posts. A detailed analysis was undertaken of the 62 live
births from 1998-2007 at the township hospital, as well as current
pregnancies. Maternal health service use is very low. Antenatal care is
only received by a minority and postnatal care is even less common.
Women are staying at home for reasons of cost that extend beyond the
cost of hospital birth itself, the poor quality of township hospitals,
the cultural inappropriateness of hospital birthing practices, and lack
of incentives, such as pain relief during labour. Utilisation is not
necessarily increased through easy access to a health facility. There is
potential for improving utilisation through developing the role of
village-based health care workers, expanding mobile antenatal care
clinics, working with traditional birth attendants, and changing the way
township hospital services are provided and funded. There is a need to
improve women's understanding of appropriate antenatal care and
emergency obstetric care. Current policies that impose punitive measures
on struggling township-level staff for not reaching impossible targets
for hospital births could be replaced by greater professional and
financial support. (1) (1.) Harris A, Zhou Y, Liao H, et al. Challenges to maternal health care utilization among ethnic minority women in a resource-poor region of Sichuan Province, China. Health Policy and Planning 2010;25(4):311-18. |
| Gale Copyright: | Copyright 2010 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. |
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