It's the Destination and the Journey—A Mapping of the Challenges in Transport and Referral for Maternal and Newborn Health in Pandemics and Beyond

摘要

There has been an abundance of work in the last few years highlighting the importance ofhigh-quality health systems as foundational to achieving better health outcomes (1). Qualityprovision of care is particularly critical for women and newborn during the perinatal and theimmediate postpartum period (2). Transport issues are generally considered as important foraccess to care, but the quality of these transport and referral systems is equally essential. Recentsystematic reviews related to the provision of intrapartum and postnatal care found that womenwere unlikely to accept referral if they had negative perceptions of the health facility (3) and weregenerally unsatisfied with delays in referral processes (4). Other studies have noted poor capacityat referring facilities (5), as well as challenges with coordination, communication, documentation,and adherence to referral protocols, especially for newborns (6).