Effects of the Covid-19 on Essential Antenatal Health Services in the Buea Health District


Authors : Njume Neville Kome; Palle John Ngunde; Esoh Nahyeni Bassah; Dili Koumai Ismael; Lum Christabel

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 5 - May

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/nmzj2694

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25may2250

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Abstract : The COVID-19 pandemic had overwhelming effects on every sector of life worldwide, particularly the health care sector. Healthcare systems especially of developing countries were taken off guard due to lack of preparedness against health emergencies such as the Covid-19. From February 14, 2020 when the ministry of public health in Cameroon declared the first Covid-19 case, the fear and anxiety that struck the general population, limited material, financial and human resources led to several challenges in healthcare provision and access. This study aimed at determining the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic (during the peak year, 2020) on access to a quality of EANC services, identify challenges faced in the provision of EANC service, and the adjustments made by public health facilities in BHD. The study design was both retrospective via hospital record review, and descriptive cross-sectional. A semi-structured questionnaire, and a checklist were used as data collection tools. Key informant sampling technique was used to identify potential participants, from 7 randomly selected public health facilities from each of the 7 Health Areas in BHD. SPSS v. 26 was used for data analysis. As results, 1368, 1615, 1727 and 1809 were the respective yearly ANC turnouts for 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The percentage increase in ANC turnout between the respective years is +18.06%, +6.93%, +4.75%. The average ANC quality in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 was 96.9%, 99.4%, 93.9% and 98.9% respectively. A P-value= 0.213 shows that there was no significant association between turnout and quality of ANC services from 2018-2021 using a Pearson’s chi-squared test. 71.4% of study participant said they fell short of PPE, 57.1% and 85.6% identified anxiety related to fear of contracting Covid-19 amongst health workers and pregnant women respectively. The boost in the supply of PPE (85.7%), and regularly contacting of pregnant women for ANC (100%) were the major challenges made. In conclusion, the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative effect on ANC utilization given the decrease in percentage increase from 2019 to 2021 in turnout, and a slight decrease in quality of EANC services. The challenges faced by health workers were the lack of PPE, and fear among personnel and pregnant women. Increase communication with pregnant women, and provision of PPE were the major adjustments made to ANC during the peak of the Covid-19 in the Buea Health District.

Keywords : Antenatal Care, Covid-19 Pandemic, Pregnant Women.

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The COVID-19 pandemic had overwhelming effects on every sector of life worldwide, particularly the health care sector. Healthcare systems especially of developing countries were taken off guard due to lack of preparedness against health emergencies such as the Covid-19. From February 14, 2020 when the ministry of public health in Cameroon declared the first Covid-19 case, the fear and anxiety that struck the general population, limited material, financial and human resources led to several challenges in healthcare provision and access. This study aimed at determining the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic (during the peak year, 2020) on access to a quality of EANC services, identify challenges faced in the provision of EANC service, and the adjustments made by public health facilities in BHD. The study design was both retrospective via hospital record review, and descriptive cross-sectional. A semi-structured questionnaire, and a checklist were used as data collection tools. Key informant sampling technique was used to identify potential participants, from 7 randomly selected public health facilities from each of the 7 Health Areas in BHD. SPSS v. 26 was used for data analysis. As results, 1368, 1615, 1727 and 1809 were the respective yearly ANC turnouts for 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The percentage increase in ANC turnout between the respective years is +18.06%, +6.93%, +4.75%. The average ANC quality in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 was 96.9%, 99.4%, 93.9% and 98.9% respectively. A P-value= 0.213 shows that there was no significant association between turnout and quality of ANC services from 2018-2021 using a Pearson’s chi-squared test. 71.4% of study participant said they fell short of PPE, 57.1% and 85.6% identified anxiety related to fear of contracting Covid-19 amongst health workers and pregnant women respectively. The boost in the supply of PPE (85.7%), and regularly contacting of pregnant women for ANC (100%) were the major challenges made. In conclusion, the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative effect on ANC utilization given the decrease in percentage increase from 2019 to 2021 in turnout, and a slight decrease in quality of EANC services. The challenges faced by health workers were the lack of PPE, and fear among personnel and pregnant women. Increase communication with pregnant women, and provision of PPE were the major adjustments made to ANC during the peak of the Covid-19 in the Buea Health District.

Keywords : Antenatal Care, Covid-19 Pandemic, Pregnant Women.

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