The profile, health seeking behavior, referral patterns, and outcome of outborn neonates admitted to a district and regional hospital in the upper west region of ghana: A cross-sectional study
Neonatal mortality is the major contributor to under-five mortality rates in many low and middle income countries. We examined the health practices, care-seeking behavior, and referral of sick outborn neonates to a district and regional hospital in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study was a cross-sectional study conducted over an eight (8) month […]
The effect of health financing reforms on incidence and management of childhood infections in Ghana: a matching difference in differences impact evaluation
Introduction: In 2003, Ghana abolished direct out of pockets payments and implemented health financing reforms including the national health insurance scheme in 2004. Treatment of childhood infections is a key component of services covered under this scheme, yet, outcomes on incidence and treatment of these infections after introducing these reforms have not been covered in […]
Health insurance coverage, type of payment for health insurance, and reasons for not being insured under the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana
Background: Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme has improved access to care, although equity and sustainability issues remain. This study examined health insurance coverage, type of payment for health insurance and reasons for being uninsured under the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana. Methods: The 2014 Ghana Demographic Health Survey datasets with information for 9396 women […]
Unveiling the black box of diagnostic and clinical decision support systems for antenatal care: Realist evaluation
Background: Digital innovations have shown promise for improving maternal health service delivery. However, low-and middle-income countries are still at the adoption-utilization stage. Evidence on mobile health has been described as a black box, with gaps in theoretical explanations that account for the ecosystem of health care and their effect on adoption mechanisms. Bliss4Midwives, a modular […]
Using research to influence sexual and reproductive health practice and implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A case-study analysis
Background: Research institutions and donor organizations are giving growing attention to how research evidence is communicated to influence policy. In the area of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV there is less weight given to understanding how evidence is successfully translated into practice. Policy issues in SRH can be controversial, influenced by political factors […]
If Times Change, Should We Throw Away The Hearthstone? Exploring (Dis) Continuities In Autonomy And Decision-Making In The Lives Of Ghanaian Women
This paper attempts to investigate continuities and discontinuities between traditional and modern representations of womanhood and female gender roles focusing primarily on family and work settings. Using approaches informed by Sociology, Cultural Psychology, and African Studies, the paper explores traditional views of womanhood encapsulated in (and also transmitted intergenerationally) through proverbs. This customary perspective is […]
The “universal” in UHC and Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme: Policy and implementation challenges and dilemmas of a lower middle income country
Background: Despite universal population coverage and equity being a stated policy goal of its NHIS, over a decade since passage of the first law in 2003, Ghana continues to struggle with how to attain it. The predominantly (about 70 %) tax funded NHIS currently has active enrolment hovering around 40 % of the population. This […]
Mobile Technology for Community Health in Ghana: What happens when technical functionality threatens the effectiveness of digital health programs?
Background: Despite the growing use of technology in the health sector, little evidence is available on the technological performance of mobile health programs nor on the willingness of target users to utilize these technologies as intended (behavioral performance). In this case study of the Mobile Technology for Health (MOTECH) program in Ghana, we assess the […]
Does facility birth reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in Brong Ahafo, Ghana? A secondary analysis using data on 119 244 pregnancies from two cluster-randomised controlled trials
Background: Maternal and perinatal mortality are still unacceptably high in many countries despite steep increases in facility birth. The evidence that childbirth in facilities reduces mortality is weak, mainly because of the scarcity of robust study designs and data. We aimed to assess this link by quantifying the influence of major determinants of facility birth […]
Implementation of a referral and expert advice call Center for Maternal and Newborn Care in the resource constrained health system context of the Greater Accra region of Ghana
Background: Referral and clinical decision-making support are important for reducing delays in reaching and receiving appropriate and quality care. This paper presents analysis of the use of a pilot referral and decision making support call center for mothers and newborns in the Greater Accra region of Ghana, and challenges encountered in implementing such an intervention. […]
