An exploratory study of perspectives and experiences of antenatal care services among pregnant women during COVID-19 pandemic in rural areas of Billawar, Kathua District, Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory

Antenatal care (ANC) is potentially one of the most effective health interventions for preventing maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly in places where the general health status of women is poor. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of four ANC visits, comprising interventions such as tetanus toxoidvaccination, iron, and folic acid supplementation, screening and treatment for infections, and identification of warning signs during pregnancy. According to a report by UNICEF India (7th May 2020). India was projected to record the highest number of births since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, with 20.1 million babies expected to be born between March and December. This gives us a rough estimate that a large number of women are deprived of appropriate antenatal care during their pregnancy. As the majority of health care delivery facilities are dedicated to COVID-19 care, staff getting engaged in emergency COVID-19 duties, staff becoming COVID-19positive, and mandatory quarantines of staff have restricted delivery of antenatal care. On the demand side, lack of information about the availability of services increased fears and concerns of being exposed, movement restrictions, loss of income, and social factors caused hindrance in seeking continuous antenatal care services. There are studies that reflect the district-level disparities in the coverage of ANC services in J&K in context to socioeconomic status. The overall coverage gap for ANC was 23.9%Pregnant women especially those that live in rural areas of J&K usually have to cover long distances and embark on difficult journeys to reach the maternity hospitals as the nearby hospital was converted into COVID center. These long journeys are the ‘silent killer’ as the over-exertion or injury caused by journeying on this road can lead to miscarriages. Inclusion criteria: Pregnant women who are enrolled in Community Health Centreswill be recruited for the study.b) Exclusion criteria: Pregnant women who are not willing to participate in the study will be excluded.

Tools used: In-depth interview guide will be used for data collection.  Statistical methods: MAXQDA software.