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Early antenatal care is critical for the mother and newborn’s health. Antenatal care is often delayed in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study aims to examine the trends and determinants of late antenatal care initiation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Tanzania from 2007–2016. The study employed Demographic Health Surveys data of reproductive-age women seeking antenatal care in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2007-2013/14), Kenya (2008–2014), and Tanzania (2010-2015/16). Bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted per survey, taking sampling weights into account. The determinants of late antenatal care initiation were measured using multivariate logistic regression models and the trends were assessed using prediction scores. Late antenatal care initiation declined in Tanzania (60.9%-49.8%) and Kenya (67.8%-60.5%) but increased in the Democratic Republic of Congo (56.8%-61.0%) between surveys. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, higher birth order was associated with antenatal care initiation delays from 2007–2014, whilst rural residency (AOR:1.28;95%CI:1.09–1.52), lower maternal education (AOR:1.29;95%CI:1.13–1.47) and lower-income households (AOR:1.30;95%CI:1.08–1.55) were linked to antenatal care initiation delays in 2014. In Kenya, lower maternal education and lower-income households were associated with antenatal care initiation delays from 2008–2014, whilst rural residency (AOR:1.24;95%CI:1.11–1.38) and increased birth order (AOR:1.12; 95%CI:1.01–1.28) were linked to antenatal care initiation delays in 2014. In Tanzania, higher birth order and larger households were …