(PHCII) - MMH/MMS

1.0. INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
1.1. BACK GROUND INFORMATION
All women should have access to basic maternity care during pregnancy and delivery.
This includes antenatal care, clean and safe delivery as well as postpartum care for
mothers and infants (WHO 1997).
Every time a woman is pregnant which happens as estimated 200 million times every
year around the world, a woman risks a sudden and unpredictable complication that could
result in her death or injury, and the death or injury of her infant. At least 40% of all
pregnant women will experience some type of complication during their pregnancies.
For about 15% this complication will be potentially life threatening. Such complications
can occur in pregnancy, during labour, delivery and postpartum period that require high
quality obstetric care, (Koblinsky et al 1993).
Attempts to predict these complications before they occur have not been successful since
most complications are unexpected and the majority of women with poor pregnancy
outcomes do not fall into any high risk categories (Graham 1997 and Ahmad 1998).
Therefore pregnancy should be viewed as a special period during which all women
should take particular care and seek treatment for certain signs and symptoms (WHO
1994).
Basic maternity care comprises of quality antenatal care, clean and safe delivery whether
the delivery takes place at home or in an institutional setting. One of the most important
functions of antenatal care is to offer the woman advice information about the appropriate
place of delivery given her own particular circumstances and health status. ANC is also
an opportunity to inform women about the danger signs and symptoms for which
assistance should be sought from a health care provider without delay (WHO 1994).
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