A Cross-sectional study to explore the challenges faced by Myanmar women in accessing antenatal care services

Background: Myanmar is considered one of the highest maternal mortality in Southeast Asian region, most maternal deaths occur during the time of deliver. The aim of this research is to find out the challenges faced by Myanmar women when accessing antenatal care services. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study and this study utilised the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey Data 2015-16. A total of 13,454 women ages between 15-49 years were surveyed. For this research, all married women were selected(n=7870). Results: The mean age of the respondents was 35 years and the majority of respondents (50.7%) belong to the 35-49 age group. Approximately 46.3% of respondents had more than 4 ANC visits and almost 54% respondents had their ANC visits during their second and third trimesters. This study has revealed that women with no education, poorer socioeconomic status, less access to mass media, from rural area and with more children in the family are not utilizing the ANC services adequately. Conclusion: Myanmar government should take strategies to encourage pregnant women for four antenatal check-ups and there should be proper monitoring in place to trail timing of ANC visits