Abstract:
Improving utilization of maternal healthcare services helps in reducing or eliminating
limiting factors among women who use maternal health care (MHC) services. The
United Nation (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Tanzania Health Policy 2017
insist on improving MHC among the community members by proper adherence on
early starting Antenatal Care (ANC), ANC 4+ visits, delivery at health facility and
Postnatal Care (PNC) 3+ visits. This study focused on assessing factors influencing
utilization of free maternal healthcare services in the government primary health care
facilities in Kilimanjaro Region. A cross-sectional research design, with convenience
sampling and purposive sampling techniques were applied to select 176 study
respondents. Data were collected using survey, interview and documentary review.
Data were analysed by using chi-square and multiple logistic regression technique into
four outcomes early staring ANC before 13 week of gestation, 4+ ANC visits, delivery
at health facilities and PNC 3+ visits. The findings shows that utilization of MHC was
influenced by increasing education level (P= 0.001), urban residence (P= 0.001),
attending to health facility for family planning (P = 0.02), male involvement on PNC
(P = 0.05), quality of health infrastructure (OR = 0.35, P = 0.016, CI: 0.15-0.82) and
MHC services satisfaction (OR = 0.09, P = 0.03 CI: 0.01-1.12). The study concluded
that, improving utilisation of free MHC services contribute in solving adverse effects
in maternal complication, health of the mother and child and family economic growth
in general. Thus, it was recommended that the government and healthcare stakeholders
should ensure community awareness on best practices in using health facilities,
empower women economically, education, availability of sufficient health services at
the health facilities. Further, Ministry of Health should ensure improvement of health
facilities infrastructures and increasing community access to sufficient MHC services
by putting more emphasis to those who live in a remote areas to access health facilities.
