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Research article
Covid-19 Pandemic Impact on Maternal and Child Health Services Access in Nampula, Mozambique: A Mixed Methods Research.
Paulo das Neves Pires
Lúrio University
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2586-9955
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
The Covid-19 pandemic limited access to health services in most countries, impacting negatively global health. Last March 2020 in Mozambique, a public state of emergency restrained people’s movements, reduced public services, and launched a national information campaign. The Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital implementation research, has been promoting access to maternal and child health care, at Marrere General Hospital and Marrere Health Centre, in Natikiri, Nampula, the city with the third highest incidence of Covid-19 in Mozambique. Our research aimed to assess the impact of Covid-19 on access to maternal and children health services in Nampula and estimate Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital project sustainability.
Methods
Mixed-methods research, descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective, using review of patient visits documentation, comparing March to May 2019 to same months in 2020, and interviews with health professionals, traditional birth attendants and patients. We involved two health centres and two hospitals. The two Marrere centres were Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital intervention centres, and the other two were control centres, compared using KrushKall Wallis, One-way Anova, mean and standard deviation tests.
Results
Comparing 2019 maternal health services indicators with those from 2020, the intervention area had decreases of 28% in family planning visits, 26% in women in first ante-natal visits in the first trimester, and a 74% increase in home deliveries, all without statistical significance. The decrease in hospital maternity deliveries (4%) was statistically significant (p=0.046). The non-intervention area showed a decrease in women in first ante-natal visits in the first trimester (12%). Concerning child health, the intervention area had a 20% reduction in children presenting for vaccination and an 18% in children completely vaccinated, comparable to a reduction of 16% in the non-intervention area. Interviews revealed that most health professionals, traditional birth attendants and patients, have adequate knowledge about Covid-19.
Conclusion
Our results demonstrate negative collateral effects of Covid-19 on maternal and child health access and a deficient health information system in Mozambique. The Government’s media campaign promoting access to preventive health services, is not achieving its aim. The Alert Community project will need further research, to assess lasting effect on reducing the negative effects of Covid-19 on sexual and reproductive health.
Trial registration
This study was not registered in any data base.
Keywords
adolescent health, children health, covid-19, health services access, maternal health, Mozambique, Nampula
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CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 12 Nov, 2020
No community comments so far
Review #1 received
Received 07 Feb, 2021
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 31 Dec, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 10 Nov, 2020
Editor assigned
On 08 Nov, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 07 Nov, 2020
Editor invited
On 04 Nov, 2020
First submitted
On 15 Oct, 2020
Metrics
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Health Services Research. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Covid-19 Pandemic Impact on Maternal and Child Health Services Access in Nampula, Mozambique: A Mixed Methods Research.
Paulo das Neves Pires
Lúrio University
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2586-9955
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 12 Nov, 2020
No community comments so far
Review #1 received
Received 07 Feb, 2021
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 31 Dec, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 10 Nov, 2020
Editor assigned
On 08 Nov, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 07 Nov, 2020
Editor invited
On 04 Nov, 2020
First submitted
On 15 Oct, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
The Covid-19 pandemic limited access to health services in most countries, impacting negatively global health. Last March 2020 in Mozambique, a public state of emergency restrained people’s movements, reduced public services, and launched a national information campaign. The Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital implementation research, has been promoting access to maternal and child health care, at Marrere General Hospital and Marrere Health Centre, in Natikiri, Nampula, the city with the third highest incidence of Covid-19 in Mozambique. Our research aimed to assess the impact of Covid-19 on access to maternal and children health services in Nampula and estimate Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital project sustainability.
Methods
Mixed-methods research, descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective, using review of patient visits documentation, comparing March to May 2019 to same months in 2020, and interviews with health professionals, traditional birth attendants and patients. We involved two health centres and two hospitals. The two Marrere centres were Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital intervention centres, and the other two were control centres, compared using KrushKall Wallis, One-way Anova, mean and standard deviation tests.
Results
Comparing 2019 maternal health services indicators with those from 2020, the intervention area had decreases of 28% in family planning visits, 26% in women in first ante-natal visits in the first trimester, and a 74% increase in home deliveries, all without statistical significance. The decrease in hospital maternity deliveries (4%) was statistically significant (p=0.046). The non-intervention area showed a decrease in women in first ante-natal visits in the first trimester (12%). Concerning child health, the intervention area had a 20% reduction in children presenting for vaccination and an 18% in children completely vaccinated, comparable to a reduction of 16% in the non-intervention area. Interviews revealed that most health professionals, traditional birth attendants and patients, have adequate knowledge about Covid-19.
Conclusion
Our results demonstrate negative collateral effects of Covid-19 on maternal and child health access and a deficient health information system in Mozambique. The Government’s media campaign promoting access to preventive health services, is not achieving its aim. The Alert Community project will need further research, to assess lasting effect on reducing the negative effects of Covid-19 on sexual and reproductive health.
Trial registration
This study was not registered in any data base.