Malawi 2015-16

9.1 ANTENATAL CARE COVERAGE AND CONTENT
9.1.1 Skilled Providers
Antenatal care (ANC) from a skilled provider
Pregnancy care received from skilled providers such as doctors, medical
officers, clinical officers, medical assistants, nurses and midwives.
Sample: Women age 15-49 who had a live birth in the 5 years before the
survey
Ninety-five percent of women age 15-49 who had a
live birth in the 5 years before the survey received
antenatal care from a skilled provider at least once
for their last birth (Table 9.1).The vast majority of
women receive antenatal care from nurses or
midwives (72%).
Trends: The proportion of women age 15-49 in
Malawi who received ANC from a skilled provider
has risen from 90% in 1992 to 95% in 2010 and
2015-16 (Figure 9.1).
Patterns by background characteristics
• Use of a skilled provider for ANC services is
slightly higher in urban areas than rural areas
(97% and 94%, respectively).
Figure 9.1 Trends in antenatal care
coverage
Percentage of women age 15-49 who had
a live birth in the 5 years before the survey
(for the most recent birth)
Received any ANC
from skilled provider
90 91 92 95 95
Had 4+ ANC visits
62
56 57
46
Had ANC in first
51
trimester
24
9 7 8
12
1992 2000 2004 2010 2015-16
• Use of a skilled provider for ANC services increases with rising education. Ninety-three percent of
women with no education obtained ANC services from a skilled attendant, compared with 99% of
women with more than secondary education.
• Women in the highest wealth quintile are slightly more likely to receive ANC from a skilled provider
(97%) than those in the lowest quintile (93%).
9.1.2 Timing and Number of ANC Visits
Half of the women (51%) had at least four ANC visits during their last pregnancy, as recommended by the
WHO (Table 9.2). Only 2% of women had no ANC visits. Urban women are more likely to have had four
or more ANC visits than rural women (59% and 49%, respectively).
Only 24% of women had their first ANC visit during the first trimester, as recommended. Another 51% of
women had their first ANC visit during the fourth and fifth month of pregnancy, and 2% did not receive
any ANC until the eighth month or later.
Trends: The proportion of women that received the recommended four or more ANC visits generally
declined from 1992 (62%) to 2010 (46%) before rising modestly in 2015-16 to 51% (Figure 9.1). Over
this same time period, the proportion of women who received ANC in the first trimester has more than
doubled from 9% in 1992 to 24% in 2015-16.
120 • Maternal Health Care