Methods to measure potential spatial access to delivery care in low- and middle-income countries: A case study in rural Ghana

Background: Access to skilled attendance at childbirth is crucial to reduce maternal and newborn mortality. Several different measures of geographic access are used concurrently in public health research, with the assumption that sophisticated methods are generally better. Most of the evidence for this assumption comes from methodological comparisons in high-income countries. We compare different measures […]

Length of time in Ghana is associated with the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding among Liberian refugees living in Buduburam

While literature describing immigrant’s breastfeeding practices exists, especially among those living within developed countries, there is a significant gap in knowledge on how the host culture may influence the EBF behaviors of refugees, especially those living in protracted situations within sub-Saharan Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Buduburam Refugee Settlement in Ghana from […]

Incentives to yield to Obstetric Referrals in deprived areas of Amansie West district in the Ashanti Region, Ghana

Background: Obstetric referrals, otherwise known as maternal referrals constitute an eminent component of emergency care, and key to ensuring safe delivery and reducing maternal and child mortalities. The efficiency of Obstetric referral systems is however marred by the lack of accessible transportation and socio-economic disparities in access to healthcare. This study evaluated the role of […]

Cost to households in treating maternal complications in northern Ghana: A cross sectional study

Background: The cost of treating maternal complications has serious economic consequences to households and can hinder the utilization of maternal health care services at the health facilities. This study estimated the cost of maternal complications to women and their households in the Kassena-Nankana district of northern Ghana. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study between […]

Managing intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy challenges: An ethnographic study of two Ghanaian administrative regions

Background: Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) is an important public health problem across sub-Saharan Africa. The package of measures for its control in Ghana in the last 20 years include regular use of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs), directly-observed administration (DOT) of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) and prompt and effective case management of MiP. […]

Timeliness of childhood vaccine uptake among children attending a tertiary health service facility-based immunisation clinic in Ghana

Background: Childhood immunisation is a cost-effective activity in health. Immunisation of children has contributed to reducing child morbidity and mortality. In the last two decades, global deaths from vaccine-preventable illnesses have decreased significantly as a result of immunisation. Similar trends have been observed in Ghana following the introduction of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation. The […]

Household wealth and maternal health: evidence from Ghana

Purpose: In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) revised upwards the recommended contacts for antenatal care (ANC) by expectant mothers with a health provider from a minimum of four to eight over the pregnancy period. Although Ghana is yet to adopt the new recommendation, some women choose to adhere to the new protocol because of […]

‘How to know what you need to do’: A cross-country comparison of maternal health guidelines in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Tanzania

Background: Initiatives to raise the quality of care provided to mothers need to be given priority in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). The promotion of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is a common strategy, but their implementation is often challenging, limiting their potential impact. Through a cross-country perspective, this study explored CPGs for maternal health in Burkina […]

Women’s Contributions to Biomedical Healthcare in Ghana: A Focus on Obuasi

From economic, through politics to domestic support, women have been the major engineers of valuable roles towards the development of every culture. Historically, their impacts in medicine and healthcare in general have been evident across time and space. Prior to European influx and the modernization of healthcare in Ghana, women delivered such roles that simulate […]

Men’s support for abortion in Upper East and Upper West Ghana

The second leading cause of maternal mortality in Ghana is unsafe abortion. Research in Ghana shows that men’s support influences women’s use of safe abortion services. The aim of this study was to understand what men know about abortion, why they support their partners to seek an abortion, and to identify effective ways to reach […]