In Ethiopia, maternal waiting areas (MWAs) – residential areas near health facilities where women can stay while waiting to give birth – are community-based, equity-oriented interventions to improve maternal outcomes among rural populations. In this qualitative study we sought to explore the barriers and enablers that Health Extension Workers (HEWs) encounter when engaging with communities about MWAs. We conducted semi-structured interviews with HEWs across rural sites in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia. Drawing from an ecological model of social determinants of maternal and child health, we analysed data using thematic coding methods. Read more...