This clinical study aims to find out if a redesigned health education program-one that respects local cultural beliefs and is based on well-known behavior change theories-can help improve how well mothers care for their newborns and how often they use postnatal care services. The main hypothesis is that culturally tailored health education provided by trained midwives will lead to: 1. Increased use of postnatal care services by mothers after childbirth, and 2. Improved knowledge among mothers about how to care for their newborns.
In the study, midwives will first be trained in how to provide this culturally appropriate health education. Then, the trained midwives will deliver four health education sessions-once a month-to pregnant women during their regular antenatal (before birth) visits at health facilities.
A catchment population size of at least 5,000 people
An average of more than 50 antenatal care (ANC) visits per month
Location in a peri-urban area to facilitate participant follow-up
Gestational age between 20 and 24 weeks at the time of enrollment
Mothers who plan to relocate from the selected cluster area before or shortly after delivery
Mothers who do not speak either Afan Oromo or Amharic, as these are the languages used for delivering the intervention.
Mothers who have already completed all recommended postnatal care visits during their most recent previous birth