Global access to antenatal care: a qualitative perspective

Global strategies to reduce maternal mortality include the ambitious goal of achieving universal access to antenatal care by 2015. This target is unlikely to be achieved, especially in developing countries where antenatal coverage is often less than 50 per cent. Although much is known about the types of women who do not engage with antenatal services, there is limited information about their reasons for non-attendance. By summarising a variety of findings from qualitative studies, this article seeks to identify relevant issues. It highlights some of the problems of applying a standardised model of antenatal care in countries where resources are limited and belief systems are at odds with westernised understandings of pregnancy and childbirth.