A comparative study on the availability of postnatal care services in primary health-care facilities in urban and rural settlements in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background: The days and weeks following childbirth is a critical phase in the lives of mothers and newborn babies. Major changes occur during this period which determine the well-being of mothers and newborns. Most maternal and infant deaths occur during this time. The study aimed at assessing and comparing the availability of postnatal care (PNC) services between primary health-care (PHC) facilities in urban and rural settlements in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a comparative mixed-method community-based study carried out in Sabon Gari and Giwa local government areas (LGAs) of Zaria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 410 households in two LGAs. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data and the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20.0. Results: PNC services were available in the PHC facilities in the study areas, however, in varying degrees. The rural and urban PHCs had 25% and 64.3% of the recommended workforce, respectively. The recommended essential equipment availabilities for PHCs were 26.3% and 38.2% in rural and urban PHCs, respectively. The rural PHCs had 35.4% of the recommended essential drugs, while the urban PHCs had 72.5%. Quantitative findings tallied with focus group discussions that services were better in urban than in rural PHCs. Conclusion: PNC services were inadequate in both urban and rural areas of Kaduna State but more in the rural area. The PHC facilities studied lacked the recommended minimum requirements in terms of human resources for health, basic equipment, and essential drugs, and this was more marked in the rural facilities. The state PHC development agency needs to address shortages of workforce, equipment, and essential medicines in the study areas.