An assessment of current antenatal care practices and identification of modifiable risk factors for prematurity and low birth weight infants in pregnancy in Solomon Islands.

Solomon Islands is a sovereign country located 2000 km north-east of Brisbane and of the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea. The country consists of an archipelago of hundreds of islands spread over 11 000 km. Makira-Ulawa is a remote province 200 km east of Honiara. It has a rapidly growing population of approximately 40 000 with an estimated fertility rate of 6.2 births per woman. Solomon Islands is a poor country with over 50% of its gross domestic income dependent on foreign aid. There are very few resources available for health care with just over AU$100 available for each person for health care or less than 2% of what is spent on health care in Australia.