Narathiwat is located in the lower southern part of Thailand where the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women is higher than 20% and low birth weight is steadily reported at 9%. Importantly, the people living in this area have been besieged by violent conflicts since 2004. However, the local health systems are well-functioning and still being utilized. The proportion of live
births delivered in institutions has risen from 78% in 2004 to 86% in 2008.