Nepal

ANTENATAL CARE 6
Key Findings
About 98 percent of health facilities in Nepal offer antenatal care (ANC)
services.
One in four health facilities offering ANC had at least one staff member
who had received in-service training in ANC within the 24 months before
the assessment.
Twenty-five percent of facilities had ANC guidelines available on the day
of the assessment.
More than half of facilities had soap and running water or alcohol-based
hand disinfectant for infection prevention available at the service site on
the day of the assessment.
Ninety percent of health facilities had all essential ANC medicines
(combined iron and folic acid tablets, and albendazole tablets) available
for ANC clients.
Almost half of all observed ANC clients were counseled on nutrition during
pregnancy. One-third of clients were advised on issues relating to the
progress of their pregnancy. Two out of ten clients were counseled on
importance of at least four ANC visits and on birth/planning/preparedness
measures.
Seven in 10 ANC providers had received personal supervision in the six
months preceding the survey.
Two of every 10 facilities offering ANC provide at least some services for
prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.
Only 6 percent of facilities offering ANC had insecticide-treated nets
available to give to ANC clients for malaria prevention.
A
ntenatal care (ANC) is primarily focused on prevention, identification, and treatment of pregnancy
complications that may adversely affect maternal and fetal health outcomes. ANC is also intended
to promote healthy behaviors and preparedness during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum
period.
This chapter explores seven key areas relating to the provision of quality ANC services at health
facilities in Nepal:
Availability of services. Section 6.2, including Table 6.1, examines the availability of ANC
services and how frequently these services are offered at health facilities.
Service readiness. Section 6.3, including Tables 6.2 through 6.5 and Figures 6.1 and 6.2,
addresses the readiness of facilities to provide good-quality ANC services, including the
availability of basic amenities and equipment, infection control processes, diagnostic facilities,
and essential medicines.
Adherence to standards. Section 6.4, including Tables 6.6 through 6.10.2 and Figure 6.3,
examines findings from the ANC consultations observed during the survey.
Client opinion. Section 6.5, including Tables 6.11.1 through 6.12.2, presents feedback from
ANC clients who were interviewed in the survey.
Antenatal Care • 117