Utilization of skilled maternity personnel in “Wa” ethnic group in Hopang Township, Northern Shan State, Myanmar

Background: Many developing countries suffer from high rates of maternal mortality, often due to poor access to skilled healthcare personnel during pregnancy and delivery. Myanmar, in Southeast Asia, is one of these countries.

Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009 to identify which factors influenced women to choose skilled birth attendants during pregnancy and delivery within the Wa ethnic group in Hopang Township, Northern Shan State, Myanmar. The survey collected data from 358 women who had given birth within the previous two years. Descriptive, chi-square, logistic regression and generalized linear model analyses were performed.

Results: Of the total sample (n=358), 64.2 % utilized skilled birth attendants at their last delivery. There was significant association between utilization of skilled birth attendants during antenatal care and skilled birth attendants during delivery (χ²= 63.743, p value <0.001). The following factors of education, religion, place of delivery, distance to reach nearest skill birth attendants, and utilization of skill attendants during antenatal care were significant predictors (p<0.05) for utilization of skilled birth attendants at last birth.

Conclusion: Maternal services are insufficient in Hopang Township. These findings will allow planning to focus services within the region to increase use of skilled birth attendants. These outcomes will help in implementing Myanmar’s World Health Organization Millennium Development Goal: Target 5- reducing maternal mortality by two thirds in 2015.