**7.2 Community -health facility linkages to ensure health facility births under skilled care**

Access to health care is a major obstacle for many women in developing countries. Women and their families have been encouraged to have a birth preparedness plan which needs to clearly identify health facility for birth, means of transport to the facility, a skilled health care provider, a companion from home, financial support, clothes to provide warmth for the neonate and person(s) to continue giving support looking after other children while away. This preparedness should be monitored through the community health structures such as the village health teams (VHTs) or community health workers (CHWs) who need to be facilitated to conduct home visits to all pregnant women in their catchment areas.

Deliveries under skilled care is crucial to correctly identify preterm neonates, ensure their birth weights are determined, early and exclusive breast feeding is established, and resuscitation done if required. The referral pathways need to be established through linkages with the VHTs and/or CHWs for mothers and neonates who have delivered from home.
