A micro-level study using a mixed-methods approach investigated the Continuum of Maternal Healthcare Services (CMHS) within the Continuum of Care (CoC) framework. CoC emphasizes seamless, integrated healthcare throughout a woman’s reproductive life. Aimed to provide uninterrupted maternal health coverage from antenatal to postnatal and beyond, makes it a vital component of both global and national health policy. Yet, in rural India, fragmented services and inadequate coordination often hinder its effectiveness, leading to missed opportunities for timely care.　Conducted in Paschim Medinipur, a rural district in West Bengal, India, this study examines two key dimensions of the CoC within CMHS - (1) Time – it found that none of the participants received full CoC, with 90.4% accessing only partial services. Significant barriers disproportionately affected tribal women. Factors such as poverty, limited education, lack of autonomy, distance from facilities, and social stigma contributed to high rates of care dropouts; (2) Place – challenges such as poor infrastructure, inadequate staff, and multiple referrals further limited access.　Addressing these obstacles calls for expanding mobile health services and telemedicine to overcome geographic and infrastructural barriers. Additionally, increasing the number of community health workers along with their remuneration will promote health education, counter stigma, and encourage healthcare-seeking behaviour. Tackling demand-side barriers such as poverty, distance decay, and educational limitations is vital for reducing dropouts, improving service utilization, and creating effective referral pathways. These will ultimately strengthen maternal healthcare outcomes in rural areas.

Authors:
Rupanjali Dasgupta, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India

About the Presenter(s)
Rupanjali Dasgupta is currently a PhD Research Scholar at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Maharashtra, India.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupanjali-dasgupta-644776120/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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