Implementing Group Antenatal Care: The Global Experience

Abstract

There are over 100 million pregnancies in low and middle income countries (LMICs) each year, and each pregnant person has a right to high-quality antenatal care (ANC).1 Coverage of four or more ANC contacts is only 68%, far short of the global target of 90% by 2030.2 Underutilisation of ANC limits opportunities to improve outcomes. Group care is considered a promising strategy to change this. It is estimated that over 500,000 stillbirths and more than five million small and vulnerable newborn births in LMICs could be prevented each year by high coverage of eight preventive interventions during ANC.3