Trends in maternal health services in Bangladesh before, during and after COVID-19 lockdowns: Evidence from national routine service data

Bangladesh instituted a national lockdown to contain community transmission of COVID-19, initially for ten days, from March 26 to April 4, 2020, then extended through May 30. During the lockdown, the pandemic and its mitigation measures’ impacts on social, economic, and financial aspects of life in Bangladesh were widely documented. Disruptions to the health system, particularly critical maternal health services, however, have received relatively less attention. This brief provides details on a study that analyzed potential impacts of COVID-19 and its related mitigation measures on maternal health services in Bangladesh, examining national and district trends in antenatal care (ANC), institutional delivery, and postnatal care (PNC). Monthly service statistics from January through July 2020 from the Directorate General of Family Planning of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare were examined to determine ANC, institutional delivery, and PNC service trends. Analysis did not include statistics from the Directorate General of Health Service, which are not publicly available