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CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Did respectful maternity care improve after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic? Preliminary results from the IMAGINE study over 5 years in 21 countries
1
IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Trieste, Italy
2
University of Gothenburg, Institute of Health and Care Sciences- Sahlgrenska Academy-, Gothenburg, Sweden
3
National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia
4
Riga Stradins University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology-, Riga, Latvia
5
Faculty of Health Studies University of Rijeka, Department of Midwifery, Rijeka, Croatia
6
Universidade Lusofona do Porto, HEI‐Lab: Digital Human‐Environment Interaction Labs, Porto, Portugal
7
University of West Attica, Department of Midwifery- School of Health and Care Sciences, Athens, Greece
8
Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Trieste, Italy
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A325
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Multi-country studies documenting Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) are lacking.
OBJECTIVES:
To compare answers relevant to RMC from mothers giving birth during versus after the pandemic (after 5 May 2023).
METHODS:
Women 18 years-of-age who gave birth in healthcare facilities between March 2020 and April 2025 answered a validated questionnaire including 15 RMC measures. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted
RESULTS:
136755 women accessed the questionnaire, 129393 (94.6%) provided consent, 92970 (67.4%) were analysed from 21 countries (N=71030 pandemic period, N= 21419 post-pandemic period). Only two indicators had a relevant improvement in the post pandemic period: the number of women not allowed to have a companion of choice and inadequate partner visiting hours significantly decreased (60.3% vs 30.4%, 74.9% vs 52.0%, p<0.001 for both indicators). The remaining other 13 indicators did not show clinically relevant changes. Still, in the post-pandemic period, only 10.6% women experienced all the 15 RMC measures reflecting positive practices, with major differences across countries (from 3.8% in Croatia to 21.9% in Sweden). Moreover, in the post pandemic period 14.6% reported feeling abused (7.5% in Germany to 19.3% in Croatia), 23.3% were not treated with dignity (12.9 in Belgium to 39.5% Croatia) and 21.4% lacked privacy (15.5% in Slovenia to 65.9% in Bosnia Herzegovina). Lack of involvement in choices (12.3% in Austria to 53.2% Greece) and ineffective communication (20.1% Portugal to 48.8% to Croatia) were gaps common to all countries.
CONCLUSIONS:
No country was free from gaps in RMC, with major inequities across countries. Urgent action is needed at international and country level from multiple stakeholders to align maternal care to existing international treaties and regulatory frameworks relevant to human rights.
KEY MESSAGE:
COVID-19 was frequently "an excuse" for the lack of RMC, while this large multicountry study clearly shows that major gaps clearly remain after the end of the pandemic. Labour and birth - VBAC
Multi-country studies documenting Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) are lacking.
OBJECTIVES:
To compare answers relevant to RMC from mothers giving birth during versus after the pandemic (after 5 May 2023).
METHODS:
Women 18 years-of-age who gave birth in healthcare facilities between March 2020 and April 2025 answered a validated questionnaire including 15 RMC measures. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted
RESULTS:
136755 women accessed the questionnaire, 129393 (94.6%) provided consent, 92970 (67.4%) were analysed from 21 countries (N=71030 pandemic period, N= 21419 post-pandemic period). Only two indicators had a relevant improvement in the post pandemic period: the number of women not allowed to have a companion of choice and inadequate partner visiting hours significantly decreased (60.3% vs 30.4%, 74.9% vs 52.0%, p<0.001 for both indicators). The remaining other 13 indicators did not show clinically relevant changes. Still, in the post-pandemic period, only 10.6% women experienced all the 15 RMC measures reflecting positive practices, with major differences across countries (from 3.8% in Croatia to 21.9% in Sweden). Moreover, in the post pandemic period 14.6% reported feeling abused (7.5% in Germany to 19.3% in Croatia), 23.3% were not treated with dignity (12.9 in Belgium to 39.5% Croatia) and 21.4% lacked privacy (15.5% in Slovenia to 65.9% in Bosnia Herzegovina). Lack of involvement in choices (12.3% in Austria to 53.2% Greece) and ineffective communication (20.1% Portugal to 48.8% to Croatia) were gaps common to all countries.
CONCLUSIONS:
No country was free from gaps in RMC, with major inequities across countries. Urgent action is needed at international and country level from multiple stakeholders to align maternal care to existing international treaties and regulatory frameworks relevant to human rights.
KEY MESSAGE:
COVID-19 was frequently "an excuse" for the lack of RMC, while this large multicountry study clearly shows that major gaps clearly remain after the end of the pandemic. Labour and birth - VBAC
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
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