Best Antenatal Care Practices in Africa

How Often Should you Have ANC in Africa?

The answer to this will depend on the model that your healthcare provider follows. The three models of antenatal care that have been implemented over the years [1, 3] include:

• Traditional

• Focused 

• New or Positive pregnancy experience 

Traditional Model of Antenatal Care

The traditional model is practised in most of Africa. It was developed in the 1990s. In this model, the patient is seen every four (4) weeks till 28 weeks of pregnancy, every two (2) weeks till 36 weeks and every week till delivery.

Focused Antenatal Care

In 2002, based on evidence from research which showed that providing targeted quality care to women was better than frequent visits, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the Focused Antenatal Care model. This model consists of four visits at 8-12 weeks, 24 -26 weeks, 32 weeks and the last visit between 36-38 weeks. This model was however replaced with a new model in 2016 due to evidence that it did not yield the expected dividends. 

The New ANC Model

In 2016 the WHO released new recommendations on antenatal care. The new model is termed Antenatal Care for a Positive Pregnancy Experience. It prioritises person-centred health care and well-being. This model consists of at least 8 visits (contacts), one in the first trimester, two in the second trimester and five in the last trimester. The first visit is before 12 weeks, the rest at 20, 24, 30, 34, 36 and 40, with an additional visit if the patient has yet to deliver at 41 weeks.

Commonest Antenatal Care Model in Africa

In most centres in Africa, the commonest model is a blend of traditional and the new model of care. 

If you are a pregnant woman living in Africa, it is recommended that you register for antenatal care between 8-12 weeks. This would ensure early assessment so that the necessary interventions to improve your health and that of the baby are put in place.

The rest of the antenatal visit schedule will be determined by your health practitioner.

You will need to be seen more frequently If your current pregnancy is considered by your doctor to be high risk (e.g., previous multiple miscarriages, previous history of adverse pregnancy outcome etc.) or if you have any co-occurring medical condition like diabetes, hypertension or any other disease that may affect your health or that of the baby.

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Published: August 17, 2024

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