Women's perceptions of homebirths in two rural medical districts in Burkina Faso: a qualitative study

A qualitative approach was used to gather information. This information was collected by using focus group discussions and individual interviews with 30 women. All the interviews were tape recorded and managed by using QSR NVIVO 2.0, qualitative data management software.The findings show that homebirths are frequent because of prohibitive distance to health facilities, fast labour and easy labour, financial constraints, lack of decision making power to reach health facilities.The study echoes the need for policy makers to make health facilities easily available to rural inhabitants to forestall maternal and child deaths in the two districts.According to the WHO, current estimates of maternal mortality ratios vary from more than 1000 per 100,000 live births in most African countries, to around 500 in some Asian countries, to between 200-400 in South America and fewer than 10 in developed countries [1]. In developing countries, specifically in sub Saharan countries, many women don't have the good fortune to be attended by skilled personnel during childbirth. This lack of skilled attendance could be considered as one of the major factors in maternal and infantile mortality. Medical conditions leading to a maternal death and classified as direct causes are severe bleeding, infections, unsafe abortions, eclampsia and obstructed labour [1]. To tackle these causes, a skilled personnel plus a good environment are necessary. The United Nations and the International community resolved through the 5th Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to reduce the high maternal mortality ratio by three quarters by 2015 [1,2]. But this goal could be missed if urgent decisions are not taken to improve the provision of appropriate health care [3]. While in some developed countries, it is possible for women to decide to give birth safely at home [4], in developing countries, conditions are not safe enough to encourage women living in rural and remote areas to deliver at home. When home deliveries