Effects of poverty on maternal and child health in the Tamale metropolis of Northern region

Abstract

The study examined the effects of poverty on maternal and child health in the Tamale Metropolis with regard to access to information and quality service provision and utilization. Six research questions were formulated to guide the direction of the study. The study was a descriptive one and involved 320 health service recipients and 80 health service providers who were selected through the stratified and purposive sampling techniques respectively The study found that poverty in the Tamale Metropolis affects maternal and child health greatly. Poverty is an important or major determinant in the health-seeking pattern of families. The frequency of childbirth on the health of women was also discovered as the main challenge to quality health service delivery in the Metropolis. Education is the main challenge to maternal and child health delivery in the Tamale Metropolis, any intervention by government should focus on working with parents so that the importance of education is harnessed from parent to child level. It is also recommended that policy makers should consider health interventions which aim to improve the lives of the poor; one that is geared towards eliminating deep and persistent poverty. A policy that will redistribute income in favour of the poor in terms of health benefits from upper class being translated to catering for the health needs of poor folks will help reduce poverty.