Tesfay Gebregzabher Gebrehiwot

TL;DR: A relatively acceptable utilisation of ANC services but extremely low institutional delivery was observed, and different aspects of HEP need to be strengthened to improve maternal health in Tigray.

TL;DR: The HEP would benefit from an approach that incorporates all the actors involved in maternal care, at institutional, community and family levels alike, and a well-designed, community-inclusive, coordinated and feasible referral system should be maintained.

TL;DR: Both individual and community level factors are associated with institutional delivery service uptake in Ethiopia and further research is needed to better understand why these factors may affect institutional delivery.

TL;DR: This study explores health-service providers’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers to the utilization of institutional delivery in Tigray, a northern region of Ethiopia, and explores the struggle between tradition and newly acquired knowledge, community willingness to deal with geographical barriers, and striving to do a good job with insufficient resources.

TL;DR: Findings add to the growing body of evidence that health workers at the community level can work with women’s groups to improve maternal health, thus reducing the need for emergency obstetric care in low-income countries.