Antenatal Care uptake in Nepal: barriers and opportunities

Maternal mortality remains one of the most important public health problems in developing countries. Millions of women lack access to adequate care during pregnancy. Underutilisation of health services is one factor contributing to high maternal mortality in Nepal. The uptake of antenatal care (ANC) is very low in Nepal in compared to other countries. This book explores barriers and opportunities in ANC uptake in Nepal. It is a qualitative study; in-depth interview was conducted with antenatal care users and non-users: 30 prenatal and postnatal women, 10 mothers-in-law of these women and 10 husbands. It highlights major factors affecting antenatal care uptake in rural and semi-urban of Nepal. The findings should assist health researchers, health professionals and policy-makers in reviewing antenatal care policies, develop interventions and manage antenatal care programme in Nepal.