The study was a facility-based program evaluation study conducted in southwest Ethiopia. Previous studies from South Ethiopia have shown that interventions that focus on intrapartum care substantially reduce maternal mortality and there is a need to operationalize health packages that could reduce stillbirths. The aim of this study is to evaluate if a program that aimed to improve maternal health and mainly focusing on strengthening intrapartum care, also would reduce the number of stillbirths, and to estimate if there are other indicators that explain high stillbirth rates. Our study used a continuum of care approach and focussed on providing essential antenatal and obstetric services in communities through health extension workers, at antenatal and health facility services. This intervention study was done in the three same districts (woredas) in South-west Ethiopia in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region. The data collection on information such as recruitment, data collection, and data analysis are presented in an earlier study. The data were entered into a computer using SPSS software (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL), and the data were later checked for completeness and errors, and the paper forms could be returned to the health post for further checks. For the analysis,  yearly stillbirth incidence rates calculated, and odds ratios (problem during delivery, illness during pregnancy, sex of baby, age of the mother, father education, availability of CEmOC services, use of 4 or more antenatal visits) and logistic regression for multivariable analysis. This follow-up study, which includes the same 38.312 births registered by community health workers, shows that interventions focusing on improved intrapartum care can also reduce stillbirths (by 46%; from 14.5 to 7.8 per 1000 births). Other risk factors for stillbirths are mainly related to complications during delivery and illnesses during pregnancy.

• still birth
• delivery
• ANC
• Mothernal health
• child health
• HEWs
• CEmOC
• south west

Lindtjørn B, Mitike D, Zidda Z, Yaya Y(2018) Reducing stillbirths in Ethiopia: Results ofan intervention programme.

The program implementation evaluation study on stillbirth reduction was a facility-based study conducted in southwest Ethiopia in 2017. The study was conducted after the program implementation of stillbirth reduction and maternal health from 2010 to 2013. The study was conducted among 38312 deliveries in the districts of Dirashe, Arba Minch Zuria, and Bonke woredas. In this implementation study, the primary outcome measure was stillbirths, and the study used the definition recommended by WHO as ªa baby born with no signs of life at or after 28 weeks gestation and measured as a number of stillbirths per 1000 births. The study measured the use of antenatal controls, and other explanatory variables included distance to the institution, literacy of both the husband and of delivering mothers, history of previous pregnancies and deliveries, and whether any illness had occurred during the pregnancy or if the delivery was complicated. In addition, the data were entered into a computer using SPSS software (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL), and the data were later checked for completeness and errors, and the paper forms could be returned to the health post for further checks. For the analysis,  yearly stillbirth incidence rates, and odds ratios (problem during delivery, illness during pregnancy, sex of baby, age of the mother, father education, availability of CEmOC services, use of 4 or more antenatal visits) and logistic regression for multivariable analysis.

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