Evaluation of a community-based education program on maternal and child health needs in a semi-urban locality: a university-community partnership pilot project in Lahore, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Pakistan faces high maternal and child mortality rates, with semi-urban and rural areas particularly affected. Community-based initiatives that emphasize local participation can address these challenges by fostering community ownership and sustainability. This study evaluated a community-based education (CBE) module, developed through a university-community partnership, in improving maternal and child health indicators in a semi-urban locality. METHODS: The study was conducted in four phases in Lahore, Pakistan: Phase one included a pre-assessment survey to identify health needs among 253 women and 371 children under-five. Phase two involved developing a CBE module based on these findings with input from key stakeholders. In phase three, the module was implemented, followed by a post-assessment in phase four with 222 mothers and 318 children to evaluate the CBE intervention. Descriptive and repeated measures analyses were performed using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: Significant changes were observed in child growth indicators, including height (p < 0.001), weight (p < 0.001), head circumference (p < 0.001), and mid-upper arm circumference (p < 0.001). The prevalence of malnutrition decreased from 28% to 6%, with complete treatment of severely acute malnutrition cases. Maternal body mass index increased significantly (p = 0.002), although maternal anemia remained unchanged. Significant changes were also seen in water, sanitation, and hygiene practices, with increased use of filtered (p = 0.007) boiled water (p = 0.002), and safe storage (p = 0.026). Family planning awareness (p < 0.001) and joint decision-making regarding contraception increased over time (p < 0.001) with reduction in service access barriers. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate significant improvements over time in maternal and child health indicators following implementation of the CBE module in a semi-urban setting. These results suggest that community-based education, delivered through a university-community partnership model, may contribute to positive changes in maternal and child health-related outcomes. Developing strategies that focus on the long-term sustainability and scalability of CBE modules will be instrumental for addressing persistent health challenges in low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan, where community-based interventions can play a vital role in improving health outcomes.