Effect of USAID-funded obstetric ultrasound service interventions on maternal and perinatal health outcomes at primary healthcare facilities in Ethiopia: a propensity score matching analysis

This quasi-experimental study evaluated the impact of introducing portable obstetric ultrasound services on maternal and perinatal health outcomes in primary health centers across four regions in Ethiopia. Using data from 1,568 mothers over two years, the study found that while the number of women completing four or more antenatal care (ANC) visits slightly declined, there were significant improvements in institutional deliveries, postnatal care, and referrals during ANC, along with a notable reduction in perinatal deaths. These findings suggest that integrating obstetric ultrasound at the primary care level enhances early complication detection and improves maternal health service utilization, warranting further trials and evaluation of the technology’s diagnostic accuracy.

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