Abstract:
Background: Ethiopia is one of the few countries in the world that achieved the United Nations
Millennium Development Goal Four of reducing child mortality by two thirds three years ahead
of the target year of 2015. Currently, the health system is overwhelmed by the Corona Virus
Disease 2019 cases since its declaration as a global pandemic and threatens to reverse the
progress of Sustainable Development Goal three including childhood mortality as most countries
halted childhood vaccinations and basic health services as a part of COVID-19 public health
restrictions.
Objective: The current study aimed at exploring the newborn & infant healthcare service
utilization in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic in rural areas of Jimma Zone.
Method: An exploratory qualitative approach was conducted in three districts of Jimma Zone
[Dedo, Mana and Shabe Sombo] from June 28-July 28, 2021 G.C. The Study Participants were
selected purposively employing maximum variation sampling assumption. Pregnant and
lactating Women, Women Development Army leaders, Traditional Birth attendants, Religious
leaders, Husbands, HEWs, Health workers were involved in the study. Data were collected
through nine-Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and twenty-seven-Key-Informant Interviews
(KII). Data was audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and translated to English. The translated
transcripts were imported to ATLAS.ti 7.1 for coding and analysis. The findings were presented
in themes, subthemes and subcategories supported with quotes derived from the data.
Result: The study explored and identified three major themes; Barriers toward the newborn and
infant healthcare service utilization, Facilitators of the newborn and infant healthcare service
utilization and Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the newborn infant healthcare service
utilization. Barriers related to the COVID-19, Community-level barriers, and Health facilityrelated barriers. Moreover, Involvement of significant others, presence of committed health
workers, access to media (radio) were explored as facilitators toward the newborn and infant
healthcare service utilization
Conclusion: A wide range of barriers and facilitators toward the newborn and infant healthcare
was explored with the pandemic impacts on infants, which calls a need to develop effective
strategies and interventions that fit the context of local setting, to address the explored barriers
and reduce the impacts of the pandemic.
