Exploring challenges faced by physically disabled women in utilizing antenal services in Kabale Municipality

Abstract

The right to utilize ANC services is included in Sustainable Development goals to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. According to Uganda MOH, every pregnant woman has got to attend four ANC visits in order to utilize the whole ANC package. Irrespective of the policy framework and laws that have been put in place for every pregnant woman to utilize antenatal care services from health care facilities, physically disabled pregnant women globally, and Uganda in particular, still underutilize ANC services from health care facilities. This is brought by challenges faced by Physically Disabled Pregnant Women (PDPW) when utilizing ANC services in health care facilities. Most studies on ANC services utilization are general rather than being specific to physically disabled pregnant women. To investigate the extent of utilization of ANC services among physically disabled pregnant women (PDPWs) in health care facilities in Kabale Municipality between February, 2019 and February 2020. A purely qualitative method employing a descriptive phenomenological design was used. A sample 15respondents, both Physically Disabled Pregnant Women (PDPWs) and health workers were purposively selected and interviewed. Data was collected from 7PDPWs and 8 health workers using individual interviews, focus group discussion and observation. Data was transcribed and analyzed thematically. The extent of utilization of ANC services by PDPWs is very low. This low ANC services utilization was due to challenges faced by PDPWs in attempt utilize ANC services from health care facilities. The revealed challenges were unmodified health care facilities, inadequate income, low levels of education among others. It was discovered that negative intrapersonal attitudes of PDPW make them not to utilize ANC services from health care facilities. Inter-personal attitudes of health workers were quite positive and supportive towards ANC services by PDPW. There is low level of ANC services utilization among Physically Disabled Pregnant Women (PDPWs). This is mainly due to challenges they faced, in attempt to utilize ANC services, in health care facilities.