Healthy Mother and Child Project

The project specific objective was to support the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality by improving accessibility to MCH services in the Project Target Areas in Jomoro, Ellembelle and Ahanta West Districts of the Western Region and increasing access to basic and emergency MCH services.

The project’s expected outcomes were the extension of Community Health Services to less served areas in line with MoH CHPS strategy (8 zones); the strengthening of MCH and Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) at intermediate level (10 Health Centers); the strengthening of In-patient and emergency services, with particular regard to Comprehensive EmONC, at District Hospital Level (Half Assini GHS & Eikwe CHAG); and the reinforcement of managerial capacities at regional and district levels (Health Management Information System [HMIS], Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation [M&E]). In order to support the strengthening of the whole maternal and new born health service structure in the project’s rural target areas, the project adopted a multilayers approach with simultaneous actions at the community, sub district, district and regional/national level. In addition, a comprehensive program on primary health care development was designed to address both supply and demand of healthcare services.
Through all these actions the project intended to support improvements in the Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Adaptability of the Health Structures and to support factors affecting utilization of care and outcomes in MCH.

During the course of the 4-year project the following results have been achieved:

• 20 Health Facilities have been constructed/revamped, furnished, equipped with 4,727 medical equipment and provided with water and electricity. In particular, 8 CHPS Compounds, 10 Health Centers and 2
• 384 Health Personnel have improved their capacities, through trainings sessions at the community, health center, district and district/regional level. Among them: 12 Medical Doctors/Assistants, 84 Community Health Officers, 36 Midwives, 121 Nurses, 16 Medical Records Assistants/Biostatisticians, 59 Community/ Maternal Health Volunteers, 18 Pharmacists/Dispensing Technicians, 24 Lab/Field Technicians, 14 Accident and Emergency Unit Personnel.
• 5,246 IEC sessions have been undertaken in 128 communities in the 3 project districts; 433 radio talk show and 8,922 advert/jingles on maternal and child health themes have been played to increase awareness of the whole population of the 3 project’s districts (388,000 people). 106,000 informative material such as leaflets, posters, gadgets have been distributed to the target population.
• 97 District/regional health personnel have improved their capacities in epidemiological data monitoring and analysis. 88 Notebook computers have been handed over with the installation of DHIMS2 and e-tracker. - 7 training sessions have been held and continuous on the job monitoring is ongoing.
• 1 study on the use of chlorhexidine for umbilical cord cleaning has been implemented in 3 regions of Ghana. The result of the study will inform the national policy on the use of the aqueous or gel form.

Overall, in the newly constructed or revamped facilities the following services have been delivered:

259,448 visits by clients (basic package of services) of which 42,033 at the CHPS level and 217,415 at the Health Center level. A total of 54,405 vaccines have been administered of which 19,363 at the CHPS level and 35,042 at the Health Center level. A total of 84,077 ANC/PNC services were also provided.