Barriers and strategies needed to improve maternal health services among pregnant adolescents in Uganda: a qualitative study.

Background: In Uganda, the uptake of maternal health services is very low, with only 41.1% of pregnant adolescent girls attending the eight antenatal visits that are recommended by the World Health Organisation. Uptake of maternal health services is essential in reducing the current level of adolescent pregnancies as well as its adverse effects on adolescent mothers and their babies, such as preterm deliveries, prolonged labour, death during pregnancy, and childbirth.