The objective of this study was to identify where, within antenatal care (ANC) programmes, pregnant women falter in obtaining and consuming an ideal minimum of 180 iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets. Data from Demographic and Health Surveys were used to develop a schematic that identified four sequential ‘falter points’ to consuming 180 IFA tablets: ANC attendance, IFA receipt or purchase, IFA consumption and the number of tablets consumed. The analysis identified where ANC-based distribution of IFA falters in each of the 22 countries examined.
