Antenatal care (ANC) is health care given to pregnant women from conception to the onset of labor. ANC is essential for ensuring the health and well-being of both pregnant individuals and their unborn children.

Quality ANC optimizes maternal and fetal health so that pregnancy causes no harm to the mother and keeps the fetus healthy during the antenatal period to:

• Offer women maternal and fetal screening,
• Make medical or social interventions available to women where indicated,
• Improve women’s experience of pregnancy and birth.
• Prepare women for motherhood whatever their risk status.

Historically, the WHO recommended a four-visit focused antenatal care (FANC) model, but evidence showed that this approach was insufficient to address maternal and neonatal risks effectively. As a result, the 2016 WHO ANC guidelines shifted to a minimum of eight ANC contacts, emphasizing a more person-centered approach that includes enhanced screening, counseling, and preventive interventions. The new WHO ANC model highlights that a woman’s ‘contact’ with her provider should be more than a simple ‘visit’ but should be an opportunity for good quality care including:

• Medical care
• Support
• Timely and relevant information throughout pregnancy

The guideline uses the term ‘contact’ as it implies an active connection between a pregnant woman and a provider that is not necessarily implicit with the word ‘visit’.

High-impact interventions in ANC include:

• Group ANC
• Micronutrient Supplementation to replace IFAS (same cost, small tablet)
• Anemia detection and management with IV Fe (1000mg)
• Obstetric Ultrasound done early including artifical intelligence (AI) ultrasound
• Preterm birth prevention with antenatal corticosteroids
• Pre-eclampsia prevention with low-dose aspirin

This module provides local government health leaders and healthcare workers with practical guidance on implementing comprehensive ANC services.

What Are the Benefits of Antenatal Care?