Uptake of, barriers and enablers to the utilization of postnatal care services in Thyolo, Malawi

Abstract Background Postnatal care (PNC) ensures early assessments for danger signs during the postpartum period and is to be provided within 24 hours of birth, 48–72 hours, 7–14 days, and six weeks after birth. This study assessed the uptake of and the barriers and facilitators to receiving PNC care among mothers and babies Methods A concurrent mixed-method study employing a retrospective register review and a qualitative descriptive study were conducted in Thyolo from July to December 2020. Postnatal registers of 2019 were reviewed to estimate the proportion of mothers and newborns that received PNC respectively. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) among postnatal mothers, men, health care workers, and elderly women and in-depth interviews with Midwives, and key health care workers were conducted to explore the barriers and enablers to PNC. Observations of the services that mothers and babies received within 24 hours of birth, at 48–72 hours, 7–14 days, and six weeks after birth was conducted. Descriptive statistics were tabulated for the quantitative data using Stata while the qualitative data were managed using NVivo and analysed following a thematic approach Results The uptake of PNC services was at 90.5%, 30.2%, and 6.1% among women and 96.5%, 78.8%, and 13.7% among babies within 48 hours of birth, 3 to 7 and 8 to 42 days respectively. The barriers to PNC services included the absence of a baby or mother, limited understanding of PNC services, lack of male involvement, and economic challenges. Cultural and religious beliefs, advice from community members, community activities, distance, lack of resources, and poor attitude of health care workers also impeded utilization of PNC services. The enablers included the mothers’ level of education, awareness of the services, economic resources, community-based health support, adequacy and attitude of health workers, seeking treatment for other conditions, and other clinic activities. Conclusion Optimization of uptake and utilization of PNC services for mothers and neonates will require the involvement of all stakeholders. The success of PNC services lies in the communities, health services, and mothers understanding the relevance, timepoints, and services that need to be delivered to create demand for the services.