AUTHOR=Tilahun Bereket Tefera , Tariku Zerihun , Alemu Mesfin Kebede , Dejene Tafese , Natae Legesse Abera , Mohammed Hussen , Assegid Daniel Tadesse , Tekle Mickiale Hailu 

TITLE=Maternal and Child Health Services Utilization During COVID-19 in Eastern Ethiopia

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 69 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2024.1606626

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2024.1606626

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives: This study aimed to describe the impact of Covid-19 on maternal and child health service utilization in the Eastern part of Ethiopia.

Methods: Comparative analysis was used to examine two years of maternal and child health service utilization. Data were extracted from client registers. Traditional Expert Modeler and one way Analysis of Variance were used for comparing service utilization before and during Covid-19 pandemic. 
 
Results: A total of 34,576 client registers were reviewed, 17,100 (49.5%) and 17,476 (50.5%) had visited the MCH service before and during Covid-19 pandemic, respectively. The total client visit has shown an increase in percentage point of 2%. However, postnatal care and child immunization showed service drops. Besides, there was a significant difference between service visits before and during covid-19 (f=4.6, p<0.04). 

Conclusion: Mothers and children have missed or unattended for facility appointments due to the protective impositions or fear of getting infected with Covid-19. Implying, higher proportion of MCH problems, which were not addressed. The health system should therefore improve its resilience and strengthen its access at the lowest health care inlets.