Gemeinschaftsmedizin und Gesundheitserziehung

Abstrakt

Maternal and Child Health Survey in Kometa Sub-locality, Mizan- Aman Town, Southwest Ethiopia

Andualem Henok, Jelkeba Bali

Background: Maternal and child health problems gained greatest attention due to their preventability and are the key indicators of development. Greater than two-third of world population constitutes women and children who are highly vulnerable to preventable health problems and death.

Objective: The community based survey was designed to assess maternal and child health problems in Kometa Sub-locality, South West Ethiopia.

Methods: A community based maternal and child health survey was conducted from September 12 to 15, 2014. The representative households were drawn based on systematic random sampling method. Interviewer administered questionnaire was used. The raw data were electronically encoded into EpiData 3.1 and exported to STATA 13 and SPSS 20 statistical software windows version. Descriptive analysis was used to determine epidemiological characteristics.

Result: A total of 198 households that comprised of 840 individuals were involved in this survey. About 160(86%) households reported. It is common practices in this community to give birth before reproductive organs maturity in 41(26%) of respondents (less than 18 years). Generally 118(79.2%) of women in marriage relationship were using one or a combination of temporary birth control methods, being depo provera users were the highest comparatively. Most of those pregnant women 8(53.3%) made a complete course of the third antenatal visit and fourth antenatal visit 4(26.7%). Among under-five children, one in 56(90.3%), two in 5(8.1%), and four in 1(1.6%) of households had immunization card. Harmful traditional practices were reported.

Conclusion: High quality care services affects greatly effective utilization and hence, more likely to divert concerning maternal and child health problems. Harmful traditional practices which are deeply embedded within cultural beliefs demands efforts of professionals to control them.