A first step to improving maternal mortality in a low-literacy setting; the successful use of singing to improve knowledge regarding antenatal care.

Background: Preventable maternal mortality is related to delays in recognizing the problem, transport to a facility, and receiving appropriate care on arrival. Reducing maternal mortality in low-literacy settings is particularly challenging. In the rural villages of Nepal, the maternal mortality rate is among the highest in the world; the reasons include illiteracy and lack of knowledge of the needs of pregnant women.

Systematic review of community participation interventions to improve maternal health outcomes in rural South Asia.

Background: This is a systematic review on the effectiveness of community interventions in improving maternal health care outcomes in South Asia.

Methods: We searched electronic databases to June 2017. Randomised or cluster randomised studies in communities within rural/remote areas of Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan were included.