Objective: We evaluated birth plans and health insurance enrolment of pregnant
women at secondary health care level as a strategy for post 2015 goals.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study at two secondary health facilities in Lagos
state, Nigeria. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data that were analysed
and results presented with frequencies. An overall estimate with 95% confidence
interval was used at significant P value of less than 0.05.
Results: Five hundred and twenty four women, with a mean age of 30± 4.1 years,
participated. Most women chose hospital delivery (84%) and had plan for
transportation (86.3%) during labour. Few women were well prepared for birth
(9.7%) and had health insurance (10.1%). Compared to women without insurance,
more health-insured women had plans for transport in labour (P=0.1383) and
identified a place of birth (P=0.2294), but did not have as much plan for someone to
accompany them in the case of an emergency (P=0.3855) and donate blood
(P=0.5065). Few health insured women saved money for delivery (P=0.7439).
Conclusion: Health insured women did not have better birth plans and expanding
pregnant women’s access to health insurance may be an insufficient strategy to
achieve post MDG 2015 goals.