Reaching the Unreached: Utilization of Maternal Health Services amongst Tribal Mothers of Infants in Raigad District

Background: Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Awareness about the utilization of maternal health care services is a challenge faced globally by everyone, especially for the health system in developing countries like India. The aim of the study is to assess the utilization of maternal health services amongst tribal mothers of infants residing in Nere, Raigad district. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 158 mothers with ≤1-year-old infants residing in tribal villages of Nere, Raigad. With simple random sampling, two tribal villages of Nere were selected. A pretested schedule was used. Results: 84 (53.1%) of women utilized antenatal services, 137 (86.7%) mothers received intranatal care, and only 11 (6.9%) mothers used postnatal services. Mothers who received education till middle school (46.4%), in the age group of 18-24 years (65.1%), showed significant utilization of antenatal services. 148 (94%) mothers stated the main cause of non-utilization of services as a transportation problem (accessibility). Conclusion: The study shows unacceptably low utilization of postnatal care services. Postnatal care services can be enhanced to improve maternal health.