Exploring the value of shared responsibility for improving birth preparedness and complications readiness practices: A literature review

Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPCR) is a comprehensive strategy to ensure a safer pregnancy. The BPCR shared responsibilities matrix describes the roles of policymakers, facility managers, health care providers, communities, families, and women in ensuring that women and newborns receive skilled and timely maternal and newborn care that can positively improve health outcomes for mothers and their babies. The objective of the study was to describe a shared responsibility on roles to improve childbirth readiness practices and readiness in the face of complications. The literature was systematically obtained from online journal databases namely PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and other related sources, from 2018 to 2023. Sixteen articles on BPCR Interventions were described. Existing literature identifies the value of health care providers, communities, families, and women in shared responsibilities that can improve BPCR practices. We conclude that this review indicates that the value of pregnant women, facility managers, and policy makers in BPCR is still limited.