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NAVRONGO HEALTH RESEARCH CENTRE A Field station of the Ministry of Health, Ghana (Member of the INDEPTH Network)
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Location
:Navrongo - Ghana
Investigators :Nicola Dollimore, Hetty Odoi-Agyarko, Ogyebre Owusu-Agyei
Collaboration
:Ghana Vitamin A Supplementation Trials (Navrongo Health
Research Centre),
London School of Hygiene and Tropical, Medicine (LSHTM) , Ministry of Health of
Ghana
Funding :WHO (Safe Motherhood initiative)
Period Covered: 06/1991
To determine the principal risk factors of maternal mortality in the Kassenan- Nankana district and to suggest appropriate interventions to reduce maternal mortality in the Region.
Maternal mortality in northern Ghana is extremely high. For a woman in the district the risk of dying from maternal mortality is 1 in 18. Post-partum haemorrhage, severe anaemia, sepsis and obstructed labour were identified as the leading causes of maternal deaths in the area. In this study, recent maternal deaths were identified through a household survey of approximately 10,000 compounds. Detailed information was collected for 60 of these deaths. 52 o the cases were successfully matched with a control by age, parity and area. Separate focus group discussions were also held with young women and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs).
Post partum haemorrhage, severe anaemia, sepsis and obstructed labour were identified as the leading causes of maternal death in the study area. Traditional medicine is the first source of care sought by most people and hospital is frequently seen as the last resort. Consequent delays in seeking health care at fixed facilities are compounded by the lack of affordable, immediate transport and then by delays at the health facilities themselves. 70% of all women attended an ante natal clinic at least once during their last pregnancy but there is no convincing evidence to suggest that attendance at such clinics improves a woman’s chances of survival.