Disrespect and abuse (D&A) experiences by women during facility-based childbirth has gained global recognition as a threat to eliminating preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.
This study aimed to quantify the frequency and categories of D&A experienced by women in four health centers in two rural regions of Ethiopia for the purposes of developing a community-led intervention. Experiences of women who delivered in these facilities were captured by direct observation of client-provider interaction and exit interview at time of discharge. During exit interviews, 21% of respondents reported at least one occurrence of D&A. Failure to ask woman for preferred birth position most commonly observed during client-provider interactions. Complications during childbirth and time of delivery were significantly associated with reported D&A. Addressing D&A in health centers in Ethiopia will require a shift in priorities towards improving the experience and quality of care, a sustained effort to improve health care centers' infrastructure and greater support of the rural health workforce.
Authors: Kathleen Banks, Ali Karim, Hannah Ratcliffe, Wultea Betemariam, Ana Langer
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