Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) has launched a year-long public health campaign aimed at improving prenatal care uptake across Antigua and Barbuda, following data that revealed nearly one in three pregnant women in the country are not receiving adequate antenatal care.
According to Antigua Observer, Project Bloom was officially launched on April 27 and is designed to encourage pregnant women to engage earlier with antenatal services. The campaign also seeks to identify and address the barriers that delay or discourage women from seeking timely prenatal care.
The initiative comes in direct response to concerning local health data pointing to a significant gap in early maternal care. Health officials at SLBMC have signalled that the year-long duration of the campaign reflects the scope of work needed to meaningfully shift awareness and behaviour among expectant mothers in the twin-island nation.
Project Bloom's core objectives include increasing early engagement with antenatal services and removing obstacles — whether informational, logistical, or social — that contribute to delayed care-seeking among pregnant women.
