“I was on the way to the hospital but delivered in the bush”: Maternal health in Ghana’s Upper West Region in the context of a traditional birth attendants’ ban
This study examines perceptions and experiences of mothers, traditional birth attendants (TBA), and skilled birth attendants (SBA) regarding Ghana’s recent policy that forbids TBAs from undertaking deliveries and restricts their role to referrals. In the larger context of Ghana’s highly underdeveloped and geographically uneven health care system, this study draws on the political ecology of […]
Determinants of antenatal care quality in Ghana
Purpose – To achieve Goal 5 of the MDGs, the Government of Ghana introduced the free maternal health service system to break financial barriers of access to maternal care services. In spite of this, facility-based deliveries continue to be low due partly to poor quality of antenatal care that prevents pregnant women from giving birth […]
Accessibility of pregnancy-related point-of-care diagnostic tests for maternal healthcare in rural primary healthcare facilities in Northern Ghana: A cross-sectional survey
Background: Improving access to maternal healthcare in resource-limited settings plays a critical role in improving maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal deaths. However, barriers and challenges may exist in rural clinics and could affect successful implementation. This study assessed the current accessibility of pregnancy-related point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests for maternal healthcare in rural primary healthcare […]
Disparities in abortion experience and access to safe abortion services in Ghana: Evidence from a retrospective survey
In Ghana, abortion mortality constitutes 11% of maternal mortality. Empirical studies on possible disparities in abortion experience and access to safe abortion services are however lacking. Based on a retrospective survey of 1,370 women aged 15-49 years in two districts in Ghana, this paper examines disparities in women’s experiences of abortion and access to safe […]
Assessment of mobile health technology for maternal and child health services in rural Upper West Region of Ghana
Objectives: This study assessed the perspectives of women and health workers on the feasibility of using mobile health technology (mHealth) for the provision of maternal and child health services in rural settings of the Upper West Region of Ghana. Study design: The study used a mixed-design approach of quantitative and qualitative methods. Methods: Interviewer-administered questionnaires, […]
An exploratory study of the policy process and early implementation of the free NHIS coverage for pregnant women in Ghana
Background: Pregnant women were offered free access to health care through National Health Insurance (NHIS) membership in Ghana in 2008, in the latest phase of policy reforms to ensure universal access to maternal health care. During the same year, free membership was made available to all children (under-18). This article presents an exploratory qualitative analysis […]
The Effects of Antenatal Depression and Women’s Perception of Having Poor Health on Maternal Health Service Utilization in Northern Ghana
Objectives: To examine the effects of antenatal depression and women’s perceived health during the antenatal period on maternal health service utilization in rural northern Ghana; including how the effect of antenatal depression on service use might be modified by women’s perceived health. Methods: Probable antenatal depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Linear […]
Stories of Change in Nutrition in Ghana: a focus on stunting and anemia among children under-five years (2009 – 2018)
The current study aimed to understand why child stunting and anemia (CS&A) rates declined in Ghana between 2009 and 2018, and which priority policies and programs will further improve nutrition outcomes. Trends and potential drivers of stunting (height-for-age z-score < -2.0 SD) and anemia (hemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL), and decomposition analysis of DHS data (2003 to […]
A low-cost simulator for learning to manage postpartum hemorrhage in rural Africa
INTRODUCTION: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality in Africa and Asia. Despite an UN Millennium Development Goal to reduce maternal mortality rates, no significant effect has resulted to date, in large part because women in these areas give birth in rural communities with poor access to definitive care. Traditional birth attendants […]
Access and utilisation of safe motherhood services of expecting mothers in Ghana
Despite more than a decade of the Safe Motherhood Initiative in Ghana, access and utilisation levels of modern healthcare services by expecting mothers remain very low, even though considerable progress has been made over time. Using Andersen’s behavioural model (1968, 1995) as the conceptual framework, the study examines, with data from Ghana DHS (GSS and […]
