Delay in seeking and receiving emergency obstetric care in Eritrea

Objective: To determine the extent of and main reasons for failure or delay in seeking and receiving emergency obstetric care. Methods: The study was a case control analytic study that studied women who survived a severe life threatening obstetric complication near mises in the same community (controls). Avoidable factors were identified by the families of the cases and the controls the near misses themselves and the health workers. The study involved quantitative and in-depth qualitative investigation of the causes factors and circumstances surrounding materntal deaths and the life threatening condition of the near misses. Findings: Failure to seek medical care and the four delays in seeking and receiving medical care came out as the most pertinent avoidable factors for maternal death. The factors that were identified as avoidable in the controls include: delay in decision to seek medical care (42%) followed by delay in reaching care (25%) and poor quality of service (25%). Conclusion: Failure to seek medical care and the four delays in seeking and receiving medical care are the most pertinent avoidable factors for maternal death.