Research Results from Navrongo Health Research Center Update Understanding of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Impact of community health interventions on maternal and child health indicators in the upper east region of Ghana): Health and Medicine – Obstetrics and Gynecology

2023 MAY 12 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- New study results on obstetrics and gynecology have been published. According to news reporting from the Navrongo Health Research Center by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “This paper reports on results of a health system strengthening implementation research initiative conducted the Upper East Region of northern Ghana. Transformative interventions to accelerate and strengthen the health delivery were implemented that included empowering community leaders and members to actively participate in health delivery, strengthening the referral systems through the provision of community transport systems, providing basic medical equipment to community clinics, and improving the skills of critical health staff through training.”

Financial supporters for this research include Korea International Cooperation Agency.

The news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Navrongo Health Research Center: “A mixed method design was used to evaluate the impact of the interventions. A quantitative evaluation employed a flexible research design to test the effects of various component activities of the project. To assess impact, a pre-versus-post randomized cluster survey design was used. Qualitative research was conducted with focus group data and individual in depth interviews to gauge the views of various stakeholders associated with the implementation process. After intervention, significant improvements in key maternal and child health indicators such as antenatal and postnatal care coverage were observed and increases in the proportion of deliveries occurring in health facilities and assisted by skilled health personnel relative to pre-intervention conditions. There was also increased uptake of oral rehydration salts (ORS) for treatment of childhood diarrhoea, as well as marked reductions in the incidence of upper respiratory infections (URI).”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “A pre-and post-evaluation of impact suggests that the programme had a strong positive impact on the functioning of primary health care. Findings are consistent with the proposition that the coverage and content of the Ghana Community-based Health Planning and Services programme was improved by program interventions and induced discernable changes in key indicators of health system performance.”

For more information on this research see: Impact of community health interventions on maternal and child health indicators in the upper east region of Ghana. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2023,23(1):1-15. (BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - http://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com). The publisher for BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth is BMC.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-05577-7.

Our news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Evelyn Sakeah, Navrongo Health Research Center, Ghana Health Service. Additional authors for this research include Ayaga A. Bawah, Patrick O. Asuming, Cornelius Debpuur, Paul Welaga, Timothy Awine, Maria Anyorikeya, Irene Kuwolamo, Juhwan Oh, Hoon Sang Lee, Hwa-Young Lee, Inseok Lee, Myeong Seon Kim, Seoyeon Hong, John Koku Awoonor-Williams, James F. Phillips, Patrick Aboagye, Abraham R. Oduro.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)