Pregnancy and childbirth: Insights for improving malaria, family planning, and maternal and child health outcomes in northwestern Nigeria through social and behavior change programming

This brief provides rigorous evidence-based insights to implementers and researchers of social and behavior change (SBC) programs that seek to improve knowledge, attitudes, norms, and behaviors for women during pregnancy and delivery. The brief focuses on women’s use of a complete package of antenatal care (ANC) and safe delivery services at health facilities, while also revealing barriers and facilitators to these behaviors. It is one of a series that present findings from a Breakthrough RESEARCH study that uniquely captures data on a wide range of psychosocial drivers of behavioral outcomes in family planning (FP), malaria, and maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition (MNCH+N). The results presented in this series will inform improvement of women’s health in Nigeria and help achieve the objectives of the Nigerian Reproductive Health Policy, as well as support global efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)