Availability and quality of emergency obstetric care among health facilities in Ethiopia

Abstract

In sub-Saharan African countries, where two-thirds of global maternal deaths occur, obstetric complications remain the major health threat for women. Ethiopia is among the countries with the highest maternal deaths in the world. The high maternal mortality ratio is mainly attributed to poor access and quality of emergency obstetric care (EmOC). However, there is a scarcity of literature on the availability and quality of EmOC in Ethiopia. Therefore, this thesis aimed to assess the availability and quality of EmOC in health facilities in Ethiopia. Methods: This thesis employed a mixed methods approach where a combination of systematic reviews, meta-analysis, quantitative and qualitative studies were conducted. Initially, systematic reviews and meta-analysis were conducted to identify barriers to access to and utilisation of EmOC, and women’s knowledge about obstetric danger signs.