Coverage of Maternal Care Services in the state of West Bengal

Evaluation of the Coverage of Maternal Care Services was conducted during the year 1999 in the entire State of West Bengal, Urban poor localities of randomly selected three Municipal Corporation areas and 'high-risk' urban wards or villages of West Bengal that had reported AFP cases in 1998. It was observed that mothers who had three or more antenatal check-ups varied between 54% to 82% in different study areas. Tetanus Toxoid coverage varied between 83.5% to 93.4% being lowest in high-risk areas. Only a very small section of mothers (12.7% to 23.7%) consumed 100 or more Iron and Folic acid tablets during pregnancy. 'Danger Signs' of pregnancy were informed to only 21.1% to 38.2% of the pregnant mothers. Proportion of home deliveries varied between 16.7% (Calcutta) to as high as 72.7% (high-risk areas). Deliveries conducted by untrained personnel were 60.8% in high risk areas, 38.1% in State clusters and between 14.2% to 29.4% in the three urban areas. Vast majority of mothers (78.8% to 88.4%) received no post-natal check-up.