Regarding attitudes, pregnant women may believe there are
no advantages in attending ANC in the first 3 months of
pregnancy37, because ANC is viewed primarily as curative,
rather than preventive. Neema reported that pregnant
women do not have confidence in the health system because
of inadequate services and medicines, which in part
contributes to the high usage (73%) of traditional indigenous
medicine as an alternative to ANC in Uganda38. It is possible
that such attitudes and misconceptions contribute to the high
prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in Kiboga.
Thus, apart from availing all ANC services and medicines at
health facilities, community based health education programs
are needed to correct negative attitudes and misconceptions
about ANC.