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Antenatal care coverage (percentage)
Rationale for use
Antenatal care coverage is an indicator of access and use of health care during pregnancy.
Definition
Percentage of women who used antenatal care provided by skilled health personnel for reasons related to pregnancy at least once during pregnancy, as a percentage of live births in a given time period.
Associated terms
Antenatal care constitutes screening for health and socioeconomic conditions likely to increase the possibility of specific adverse pregnancy outcomes, providing therapeutic interventions known to be effective; and educating pregnant women about planning for safe birth, emergencies during pregnancy and how to deal with them.
Skilled birth attendant
(see Births attended by skilled health personnel)
Live birth
(See neonatal mortality rate)
Data sources
Household surveys: birth history—detailed questions on the last-born child or all children a woman has given birth to during a given period preceding the survey (usually 3 to 5 years), and women are asked about the use of antenatal care. The number of live births to women surveyed provides the denominator.
Routine health-service statistics: number of women receiving antenatal care (numerator). Census projections or in some cases vital registration data are used to provide the denominator (numbers of live births).
Methods of estimation
Empirical data from household surveys are used. At a global level, facility data are not used.
Disaggregation
By location (urban/rural, major regions/provinces) and socioeconomic characteristics (e.g. women’s level of education, wealth quintile).
References
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Reproductive health indicators—guidelines for their generation, interpretation and analysis for global monitoring
WHO, Department of Reproductive Health and Research. Reproductive health indicators—guidelines for their generation, interpretation and analysis for global monitoring. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2006.
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WHO antenatal care randomized trial: manual for the implementation of the new model
WHO. WHO antenatal care randomized trial: manual for the implementation of the new model. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2002.
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The world health report 2005—make every mother and child count
WHO. Annex Table 8. In: The world health report 2005—make every mother and child count. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2005.
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Antenatal care in developing countries. Promises, achievements and missed opportunities
WHO and United Nations Children’s Fund. Antenatal care in developing countries. Promises, achievements and missed opportunities. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2003.
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Coverage of maternity care
WHO, Division of Family and Reproductive Health. Coverage of maternity care. A listing of available information. Fourth edition. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1997.
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Coverage of maternity care
WHO, Division of Family and Reproductive Health. Coverage of maternity care. . A listing of available informationFourth edition. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1997.
Database
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Reproductive health indicators database
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Demographic and Health Surveys
Comments
A single antenatal visit does not give information about the completeness, components or the quality of the care provided. Additional indicators such as the number of visits (it is recommended by WHO that at least four are made during the pregnancy) and the timing (ideally, antenatal care should be initiated within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy) of the first visit are more useful, although these also do not indicate the content of the care.
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