More women access antenal care in Northern Ghana

The Northern Regional Directorate of Health says an increasing number of women in the Northern Region are accessing antenatal care. 

In 2017, the figure of pregnant women who accessed antenatal care, increased by one hundred and fifteen percent over the previous year. 

The Deputy Director in charge of Clinical Care at the Northern Regional Directorate, Dr. Braimah Baba Abubakari, who revealed this in an interview with Radio Ghana in Tamale, is however, concerned that, the number of women who delivered under skilled care fell far below expectations. 

“If you look at antenatal coverage in our region in 2017, which stood at one hundred and fifteen percent, and skilled delivery of sixty four percent, there is a gap of over forty percent, where did they go to deliver”? he questioned. 

The increase in the number of women attending antenatal care has been attributed to an increase in sensitization of families’ particularly pregnant women, using information technologies such as voice sms. 

According to Dr. Braimah the eployment of T4MCH is welcomed, saying “if mothers are given prompts by text messages or phone calls to remind them that your next antenatal date is that date, they will certainly prepare visit. 

In 2016, Savannah Signtures launched the Technology for maternal Healthcare with funding from Global Affairs Canada. 

The project delivers maternal health information through voice sms in eleven local languages, to expectant mothers in local languages. 

The Director of Savannah Signatures, Stephen Agbenyo, in an interview with Radio Ghana mentioned the North Gonja, Yendi, Bole and Mamprugu Mogduri as some of the districts benefiting from the project. 

He explained that, the voice sms does not only inform a pregnant woman on her next ANC visit, but also informs her about the development of the fetus, drug administration, feeding and how to prevent malaria. 

Thirty three selected health facilities in the Northern, Upper West and the Volta Regions are currently implementing the technology for maternal healthcare project.

Story filed by GBC's Murtala Issah 
nyofam@gmail.com>


GBCONLINE
---DECRYPTED---