Access to Maternal and Child Health Care Services in Primary Health Care Centers in Nigeria: Perspectives from Primary Health Care Nurses

Access to maternal health services is a fundamental human right, as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges that everyone has the rights to the highest attainable physical and mental health standards. Women of childbearing age however, still die of preventable health problems in urban and rural communities in Nigeria due to poor health services and cultural restrictions prohibiting women from making decision regarding their health. In-depth interviews using probing questions were used to collect data from 12 primary health care nurses working in selected primary health care centers. Their responses were categorized into three themes: utilization of maternal and child health services, reasons for non-utilization, and sustainable plans for primary health services delivery. Utilization of services provided at the primary health care center remains a challenge as most women still prefer using unskilled alternative health personnel based on the decision of their husbands. Other reasons such as poor physical condition of primary health facilities, absence of medical doctors, and lack of equipment to attend to emergency cases were outlined by nurses. Funding of primary health care center and community health care education in both urban and rural communities in Nigeria is vital for efficient delivery of maternal and child health services. This is an important approach toward respect for women’s health because the right to decide about one’s own health care is a key aspect of fundamental human right.