Understanding Maternal Health with special signifcance to Antenatal Care: A Micro Level Study of Village Khagawal, District Chandauli, UttarPradesh

Abstract

India has signicantly improved the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR). With the beginning of twenty
rst century an increasing trend in institutional deliveries and decreasing trend in deaths owning to
complications during births has reduced MMR to an extent. Most commendable improvements have
been recorded by the straggling Empowered Action Group (EAG) states, Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) being
one of them. Still a long road is ahead. Inspite of governmental efforts in the form of various schemes,
incentives and policies, Antenatal Care (ANC) coverage is still not universal and MMR remains high.
The given study is designed to explore the prevailing situation of maternal health, particularly ANC in
a small village in rural eastern U.P. In-depth interviews were conducted through Interview schedules
along with Intense Focus Group Discussions (FGD's). Majority of the respondents availed at least one
ANC visit with education being the major determinant affecting the utilisation of ANC. Average
spacing between childbirth was two years. Women, who were in their 20s or 30s were more aware
about the benets of ANC rather than their older counterparts. In brief, it was assessed that although,
the situation is improving still there is scope for much improvement if the dream of universal ANC
coverage is to be realized in turn making pregnancy and motherhood safer and comfortable.