Post-War Assessment of the Prevalence and Determinants of Unplanned Pregnancy Among Pregnant Women Attending Public Hospitals in Conflict-Zones of South Wollo, Northeast Ethiopia, 2022, Multi-Center Study

Abstract

Background: Worldwide, although unplanned pregnancy seems decreasing, 38% of pregnancies are unintended. In sub-Saharan Africa, unintended pregnancy accounts for more than a quarter of the 40 million pregnancies that occur annually. Objective: The study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of unplanned pregnancy among pregnant women attending public hospitals in conflict-zones of South Wollo zone, Northeast Ethiopia, 2022. Methods: A multi-center facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 20, 2021 to February 30, 2022 among the hospitals of South Wollo zone that that were destructed by the armed conflict. Results: The prevalence of unplanned pregnancy in our study was 44.72% (CI=39.40– 48.08%). Conclusion: In this study nearly half of the pregnancies were unplanned, which is shocking to the health care system in the 21 st century. Keywords: unplanned pregnancy, armed conflict, post-war assessment, Ethiopia