Household poverty and adequate access to prenatal care

Prenatal care is essential to ensure the survival and health of the mother and foetus during pregnancy. Therefore combating maternal mortality means promoting women's access to prenatal care in accordance with the recommendations issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO 2016). However it is clear that the use of health services by pregnant women is hampered by socio-economic factors particularly the poverty of the households in which these women live. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO 2022) approximately 800 women die every day worldwide from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. In Gabon despite the government's efforts to reduce maternal mortality it remains high. Based on data from the EDSIII conducted in Gabon in 2019 this study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between poverty and adequate access to prenatal care.