Pregnancy Rate in Ethiopia: One in Four Reproductive Age Women Become Pregnant and One in Four Pregnancies Are Wasted Annually: A Prospective Follow up Study

In Ethiopia, community-based information on pregnancy and its outcome is lacking. Proper maternal health care depends on clear understanding of the reproductive health pattern. Prospective population-based pregnancy surveillance was done on 7,738 women of reproductive age in Kersa Demographic and Health surveillance site in Eastern Ethiopia from December 1, 2009 to November 30, 2010. Pregnancy screening was done in four rounds every three month using a questionnaire followed by urine pregnancy test. During the one year followed period a total of 227 pregnancies per 1000 reproductive age women was identified. About a quarter of the pregnancies followed did not yield a live birth (was wasted) in a year time. Pregnancy wastage was more common among age group 25-34, illiterates, and the poor families. The surveillance has identified high reproducibility and high pregnancy wastage in the study population. Improving access family planning to limit pregnancy and improving antenatal care to reduce pregnancy wastage is highly desirable.