Maternal health in Awutu-Senya district

Abstract

This study used the delays model, to explain how socio-cultural factors mediate to influence the use of health facilities during the pregnancy-postpartum period in the Awutu-Senya District of the Central Region of Ghana. The administrative capital of the district was purposively sampled in addition to two randomly selected communities. The study targeted women who gave birth between September 2007 and September 2009 in the sampled areas. Proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select 246 respondents from the chosen communities. Among others, the study observed low antenatal, delivery and postnatal care attendance from 2006 to 2008. Maternal mortality ratio increased from 115 per 100,000 live births in 2004 to 176 per 100,000 live births in 2008, whilst proportion of births outside orthodox medical facilities continues to increase in the face of National Health Insurance and other maternal health policies and programmes. Results showed that there was no association between attendance at clinics for antenatal care and residence. However, there was a significant and a positive relationship between attendance at clinics for postnatal care and residence. Again, a significant and a positive relationship between supervised delivery and level of education was established. It is recommended that the Ghana Health Service should pay particular attention to the socio-cultural environment in order to encourage antenatal care attendance, supervised deliveries and postnatal care in the health facilities for achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 5.