摘要：Maternal mortality can be prevented if mothers had routine obstetric care and access to emergency obstetric services. However, in accessing healthcare most expecting mothers will have to struggle with distance and financial problems. The study sought to; assess the barriers that discourage women from accessing antenatal, delivery and postnatal services in the Cape coast Metropolis and give recommendations to inform policy. Questionnaire was administered to 150 pregnant women and nursing mothers with babies less than one year from ten communities in the Cape Coast Metropolis. An institutional questionnaire was administered at the University of Cape Coast Hospital which provides health care services to the communities. The study revealed that challenges such as money (16.7%), distance (15.4%), and the behaviour of health personnel (20%) were the dominant barriers to accessing antenatal, delivery and post natal services in the Cape Cost Metropolis. These barriers lead to the inability of 14% of pregnant women and nursing mothers with babies less than one year to adhere to the minimum antenatal visitation number of 5 recommended by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Again 15.3% of these respondents were delivered by Traditional Birth Attendants and family members, whiles 5.8% were unable to adhere to the minimum postnatal visitation of two times. NGO's and government organizations for women should organize training programmes aimed at improving the livelihood or employment for women in these communities.
关键词：Antenatal care ; community ; delivery care ; post-partum care ; services ;
