Community education to improve utilization of emergency obstetric services in Ghana

Abstract

Once services are available, community education and information activities can enhance utilization. The cost of such activities can be reduced, and sustainability promoted, by involving MOH personnel and community groups.

Advancing obstetric and neonatal care in a regional hospital in Ghana via continuous quality improvement

“…Higher utilization could have resulted in poorer outcomes, given that there was no concomitant increase in personnel or infrastructure; yet, the reductions in CFR for hemorrhage and pre‐eclampsia are encouraging. Indeed, earlier referrals and higher utilization of health services are linked to the quality of services provided and consumer confidence in those services [4,20].…”

Hospital based maternity care in Ghana - findings of a confidential enquiry into maternal deaths

“…Analysis of the 2003 Demographic and Health Survey 2 data on delivery service utilisation by poverty level demonstrates that there is a greater than fourfold difference in uptake of delivery care with a health professional between the poorest and richest quintiles. Documented barriers to the use of professional skilled care include user fees 4 , poor confidence in the services provided 5 and bad attitudes of health professionals 6 .…”

Use of Health Professionals for Obstetric Care in Northern Ghana

“…Available evidence suggests that women who live closer to health-care facilities are more likely to use professional obstetric services (Rose et al 2001). Another barrier to such use is the low quality of care available, which is characterized by long admission-to-treatment time intervals and a lack of drugs and supplies at the healthcare facilities Opoku et al 1997;Sabitu et al 1997). African women recognize the risks associated with home delivery but sometimes have no alternative if they consider obstetric facilities to be inaccessible or of poor quality (Obermeyer 2000).…”