Knowledge and Practice of Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Healthcare Providers in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

Background: Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP&CR) are strategies to reduce the three levels of delays contributing to high maternal mortality and morbidity in developing countries. Knowledge of BP and CR among healthcare providers, especially in Primary Health Care (PHC), is poor, and counselling on BP and CR during antenatal care visits is not routinely done in most healthcare facilities in Northern Nigeria. It is, therefore, imperative to assess the current in-depth knowledge and practice gap regarding BP and CR among health workers in PHCs. Aim: To assess Healthcare providers` knowledge and practice of focused antenatal care in PHC centres in Kaduna North Local Government (KNLG) Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using in-depth interviews. The participants were the officers-in-charge (the heads) of health facilities purposively selected from the four selected PHCs in the state. The data were collected with a tape recorder and note-taking from May to June 2017. The data resulting from the IDI were transcribed verbatim and subjected to using content analysis. Results:  Two themes [poor knowledge of FANC and poor practice of BP and CR] emerged from the interviews. Conclusions: This study revealed poor knowledge, awareness and practice of BP and CR among healthcare providers. Therefore, healthcare providers should be trained and retrained on FANC and the concept of BP and CR for sustained improvement in maternal survival.