Objective To determine providers’ perceived barriers to utilization of antenatal and delivery services in urban and rural communities of Ebonyi state, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive exploratory study design was used. Qualitative data was collected through the use of a pre-tested interview guide. Twelve providers participated in the study in urban and rural communities of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. They included nine officers in charge of primary health centers, two Chief Nursing Officers of a tertiary health institution and mission hospital and one Medical Officer-in-charge of a General hospital. QDA Miner Lite v2.0.6 was used in the analysis of the data. Results Most providers in urban and rural communities attributed good utilization of maternal health services to delivery of quality care. Most providers in urban linked poor utilization to poor health seeking behavior of women. In rural, poor utilization was credited to poor attitude of health workers. Few of participants (urban and rural) pointed out the neglect of primary health centers resulting in poor utilization. Most participants (urban and rural) considered ignorance as the main barrier to using health facilities for antenatal and delivery services. Another constraint identified was cost of services. Most participants attested that good provider attitude and public enlightenment will improve utilization of health facilities for antenatal and delivery care. All participants agreed on the need to involve men in matters related to maternal healthcare. Conclusions Participants were aware of values of good provider attitude and this is commendable. This combined with the finding of poor attitude of health workers necessitates that health workers should be trained on quality of care. There is need for public enlightenment on need to utilize health facilities for antenatal and delivery services. Community ownership of primary health centers especially in rural communities will enhance utilization of such facilities for maternal healthcare services and should be encouraged. Involvement of men in matters related to maternal healthcare may have a positive influence in improving maternal health in Nigeria.

Background The differences in maternal mortality between developed and developing countries is due to differences in use of antenatal and delivery services. The study was designed to determine the views of women on utilization of antenatal and delivery services in urban and rural communities of Ebonyi state, Nigeria. Methods Community based descriptive exploratory study design was employed. Qualitative data was collected through use of pre-tested focus group discussion (FGD) guide. Eight FGDs were conducted among women who were pregnant and others who have delivered babies one year prior to the study. Four FGDs each were conducted in urban and rural communities. QDA Miner Lite v2.0.6 was used in the analysis of the data. Results Most of the participants in urban and rural areas prefer the man and woman deciding on where to receive antenatal and deliver care. All the participants in urban and rural communities wish for the support of their husbands when pregnant. Perceived quality of care is the major reason the women choose a facility for antenatal and delivery services. Others reasons included cost of services and proximity to a facility. Participants in rural communities were of the opinion that traditional birth attendants deliver unique services including helping women to achieve conception. For participants in urban, traditional birth attendants are very friendly and perhaps on divine assignment. These reasons explain why women still patronize their services. The major criticism of services of traditional birth attendants is their inability to manage complications associated with pregnancy and delivery. The major reasons why women delivery at home included poverty and cultural beliefs. Conclusions All efforts should be made to reduce the huge maternal death burden in Nigeria. This may necessitate the involvement of men and by extension communities in antenatal and delivery matters. There is need to train health workers in orthodox health facilities on delivery of quality healthcare. Public enlightenment on importance of health facility delivery will be of essence. Encouraging women to deliver in health facilities should be prioritized. This may entail the provision of free or subsidized delivery services. The deficiencies of primary health centers especially in rural communities should be addressed.