MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICE UTILIZATION IN JOS NORTH AND SOUTH, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA: A QUALITATIVE REVIEW AND EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Keywords:
Maternal Health, Child Health, Service Utilization, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, Qualitative Review.Abstract
Maternal and child health (MCH) is a key public health issue in Nigeria, and Plateau State shows very low levels of MCH service utilization. In this review, we took stock of MCH utilization, determinants and perceptions in Jos North/South Local Government Areas (LGAs) as at 2019–2026. Using a qualitative review methodology, the study consolidates evidence derived from academic databases namely PubMed, ScienceDirect and ResearchGate along with reports published by World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. The study findings demonstrated that although the perception on overall quality of antenatal care (ANC) in tertiary facilities like the Plateau State Specialist Hospital was generally positive, it still differed widely among rural and peri-urban communities. The main barriers to use were socio-economic factors, cultural beliefs in favour of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and systemic barriers, such as poor primary health care (PHC) infrastructure. On the other hand, health education and community-based interventions such as the ANRiN project are essential enablers. In the paper, we conclude that overcoming demand-side cultural barriers and improving facility availability is required to achieve universal health coverage in Jos.
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