Risk-Benefit Ratios in Public Health Programs: A Comparative Study of Outcomes in Maternal Health Interventions

Abstract

Introduction: Global maternal and newborn health continues to be an area of concern, due to high levels of Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR).

Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of Maternal Health interventions, Antenatal Care (ANC), Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA), Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC), Postnatal Care (PNC), and Maternal Nutrition Support (MNS) on MMR, NMR, and the incidence of maternal complications.

Methods: A sequential comparison of MMR, NMR, and maternal complications was conducted before and after five intervention programs. Quantitative data were obtained and compared to determine the percent reduction in MMR, NMR, and incidence of complications.

Result: This cross-sectional study established a decline in MMR, NMR, and maternal complications across the five interventions assessed. The specific MMR reduction rates were 39% for ANC, 41% for SBA, 52% for EmOC, 37% for PNC, and 31% for MNS. NMR reported the following reduction figures as 43%, 45%, 61%, 39%, and 30%. The material complications decreased by 56% in ANC, 57% in SBA, 75% in EmOC, 52 % in PNC, and 40 % in MNS. All five maternal health interventions reduced maternal as well as neonatal mortality and complications among women.

Conclusions: These findings underscore more specific and integrated community maternal and neonatal health efforts and underline the benefits of implementing all five interventions tested in this study.