Use of herbal medicines among pregnant women a attending antenatal clinic at Kiryandongo General Hospital, Uganda

Objective: To assess the knowledge and use of herbal medicines among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at Kiryandongo general hospital.Design: A descriptive cross-sectional studySetting: Kiryandongo general hospital in Masindi District, mid-western Uganda.Subjects: Four hundred (400) pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) were interviewed about their knowledge and use of herbal medicines during pregnancy using self-administered questionnaires, during the months of July and August 2013.Results: Of the 400 women who participated in the study, majority 246 (61.5%)was in the age range of 18 to 24 years old, married 379 (94.8%), stayed in a rural setting 293 (73.3%),had attained primary education 239(59.8%),peasant farmers 209 (52.3%), in monogamous marriage 247 (64.2%), of prime gravidae 117 (29.2%), and Banyoro by tribe 89 (22.3%). Three hundred and fifty (87.5%)of the respondents reported to have ever heard about the use of herbal medicines during pregnancy, with 169 (48.3%) reported having used herbal medicines during previous pregnancies or in the months prior to the study. One hundred and thirty two (37.7%) where found to be using herbal medicines at the time of the study, with the majority of them one hundred and eleven (84.1%) admitting that they will be using herbal medicines again in subsequent pregnancies. One hundred and fifty three (43.7%)considered herbal medicines to be safe during pregnancy and preferred them to conventional medicines because they have low side effects, are cheap and easy to access, and it is part of their tradition to use them during pregnancy.One hundred and ten (31.4%) believed that these herbs are neither dangerous to the mother nor the foetus.Conclusion: More efficient ways are required to educate the general population about the dangers of self-medication during pregnancy especially to advise pregnant mothers not to expose their unborn child to the risks of herbal medicines. Pharmacological and case control studies will be vital in assessing the efficacy and risks associated with herbal medicine use during pregnancy. Midwives, obstetricians and General Practitioners should facilitate women’s wishes without condemnation, but this must be tempered with accurate information

Obstacles to family planning use among rural women in Atiak Health Center IV, Amuru District, northern Uganda

Background: Uganda’s rapid population growth (3.2%) since 1948 has placed more demands on health sector and lowered living standard of Ugandans resulting into 49% of people living in acute poverty especially in post conflict Northern Uganda. The population rise was due to low use of contraceptive methods (21% in rural areas and 43% in urban areas) and coupled with high unmet need for family planning (41%). This indicated poor access to reproductive health services. Effective use of family planning could reduce the rapid population growth.Objective: To determine obstacles to family planning use among rural women in Northern Uganda.Design: A descriptive cross-sectional analytical study.Setting: Atiak Health Centre IV, Amuru District, rural Northern Uganda.Subjects: Four hundred and twenty four females of reproductive ages were selected from both Inpatient and Outpatient Departments of Atiak Health Centre IV.Results: There was high level of awareness 418 (98.6%), positive attitude 333 (78.6%) and fair level of utilisation 230 (54.2%) of family planning. However, significant obstacles to family planning usage included; long distance to Health facility, unavailability of preferred contraceptive methods, absenteeism of family planning providers, high cost of managing side effects, desire for big family size ,children dying less than five years old, husbands forbidding women from using family planning and lack of community leaders’ involvement in family planning programme.Conclusions: In spites of the high level of awareness, positive attitude, and free family planning services, there were obstacles that hindered family planning usage among these rural women. However, taking services close to people, reducing number of children dying before their fifth birthday, educating men about family planning, making sure family planning providers and methods are available, reducing cost of managing side effects and involving community leaders will improve utilisation of family planning and thus reduce the rapid population growth and poverty

Determinants of First Antenatal Care Visit by Pregnant Women at Community Based Education, Research and Service Sites in Northern Uganda

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) aims mainly at prevention, early detection and management of general medical and pregnancy associated disorders. Early booking is recommended for maximum utilisation.Objective: To investigate the determinants of first ANC visit and trimesters at which pregnant mothers enrol for ANC at the COBERS sites of Northern Uganda.Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study.Setting: Five community based Education, Research and Service sites (COBERS) of Atiak, Madi Opei, Mungula, Namukora and Pajule health centre, fours (HC IV) in the five respective districts of Amuru, Lamwo, Adjumani, Kitgum and Pader, Northern Uganda, from April to July 2013.Subjects: Four hundred and seventeen (417) pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) in five health centres and ten purposively selected midwives were interviewed using questionnaires.Results: Of the 417 respondents, only 11.5% (n = 48) had their first ANC at the recommended period of 0-16 weeks. Prevalence of late entry to ANC was 88.5% (n = 369). Mean gestational age at booking was 22.6±5.7 weeks. Paternal level of education,  outcome of previous pregnancy, previous ANC attendance, weeks of amenorrhea, convenience of opening hours at ANC facility, commuting distance from home to health facility, knowing the right time for ANC enrollment and pregnancy planningremained significant predictors governing early booking.Conclusion: Late ANC booking is still a major public health concern that demands public enlightenment and paternal education coupled with women empowerment will reduce the magnitude of the problem