The basic component of FANC
The FANC approach categorises pregnant women into two groups.
a) Those eligible to receive routine ANC (called the basic component); and
b) Those who need specialised care based on their specific health conditions or risk factors
Sets of criteria are used to determine the eligibility of women for the basic component. At the first antenatal visit, the provider should use the FANC checklist to classify the pregnant women. If a woman has none of the conditions listed on the classifying form (no single yes marked on the form), she is eligible to follow the basic component. But, if a woman has any one condition given in the checklist, she should follow a specialised care.
If the specialised service is not available in the facility, she needs to be referred to the next level of care. A woman who was initially classified to follow the basic component of FANC may be reclassified to follow specialised care if she develops any of the conditions at any time during the ANC follow up. In the same way, a woman who was initially classified to follow a specialised care may be reclassified to follow the basic care if the condition or the risk factor initially identified no longer exists.