Prevalence and determinants of readiness of health facilities for quality antenatal care services in Bangladesh.

Abstract

This study investigates the prevalence and determinants of readiness for quality antenatal care (ANC) services in Bangladesh using data from the 2017 Bangladesh Health Facility Survey (BHFS). We assessed the association between selected factors and the readiness index using multinomial logistic regression. We identified a significant gap in the availability and quality of ANC services, only 4.26% of health facilities provide quality ANC services, with rural facilities showing lower readiness compared to urban facilities (RRR:0.13; 95% CI: 0.06-0.31; p < 0.001). Community clinics and private hospitals have a lower likelihood of medium or high readiness compared to public hospitals or clinics. Health facilities with specialized care are more likely to demonstrate readiness for quality ANC services. Policy recommendations include increased healthcare funding, implementation of ANC guidelines, strengthened monitoring and evaluation of health facilities, and heightened community awareness. These measures should improve ANC, overall health outcomes, and public health policies.