Internal Medicine: Open Access
Open Access
ISSN: 2165-8048
ISSN: 2165-8048
S M Mwavua, C N Ngunu, T D Ogaro, S Ochola C Nyongesa, W Musembi and J Nzola
University of Nairobi, Kenya
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Intern Med
Background: In Kenya, it is currently estimated that for every 100,000 live births about 488 women die due to pregnancy related complications, placing Kenya among the top ten countries with the highest maternal mortality this is attributed to lack of access to quality care and affordable ante-natal, delivery, and post-natal services. The government has put in place several strategies to try and address this issue like, free maternity services in public facilities, output based approach (OBA) funding and the beyond zero campaign aimed at bringing service delivery closer to the people and keeping mothers and babies alive. Design & Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional assessment was carried out using qualitative and quantitative research methods. The quantitative data analysis was done using retrospective facility health records and DHIS; comparative analysis was done using baseline data (from January-December 2014) and (January��?December 2015) to determine health service utilization. The qualitative methods employed included in depth interviews, focus group discussions and client satisfaction surveys. Results: Women and children are the highest consumers of these services compared to the men. The improvements noted are the increase in number of children <1 year who were immunized, no accessing services in OPD; diarrhea detection cases among the same age group also increased, indicating a correlation between the two indicators. The number of women accessing family planning, 1st ANC visits, skilled deliveries, HIV positive pregnant women identified and started on HAART to reduce the mother to child transmission, reported cases for the non-communicable diseases and HIV testing services also increased in 2015 compared to 2014. Conclusion: A comprehensive integrated services approach needs to be taken into account to ensure that the clinics close the gaps especially in 4th antenatal visits and skilled deliveries that have been noted in the community as they have the potential of becoming primary health care consultation centers country wide.
S M Mwavua is undergoing her MSc degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Nairobi, and works as the HIV Program Officer for Starehe Sub County in Nairobi City. Her recent work on Diabetes has been published in some of the reputable journals.