The thought of bringing a new life into the world can be exhilarating. While childbirth can be joyful, for many women in rural areas it carries the risk of tragedy due to limited access to proper healthcare. Postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and obstructed labour are all too common in hard to reach communities like the East Gonja, North East and Saboba district with expectant mothers experiencing complications that could have been prevented with the most basic essential items.
Prioritizing a mother’s health should be non-negotiable as she carries the hope and anticipation of bringing a newborn. In response to this urgent need, the Samira Empowerment & Humanitarian Projects (SEHP) launched the Safe Delivery Project (SDP), a community-based maternal health intervention that addresses the most pressing challenges women face during pregnancy and childbirth. Anchored on a three-pronged approach of Advocacy, Training and Distribution of Birth Kits, SDP is contributing to improved maternal and neonatal health in underserved communities.
SEHP works closely with the Ghana Health Service to educate and inform expectant mothers on the need to visit the health facilities for Antenatal care at the onset of pregnancy while empowering local health actors to support safe pregnancies from the earliest stages. This is complemented with the distribution of birth kits; nearly 9,000 expectant mothers have received these kits containing essential delivery items including methylated spirit, folic acid tablets, iron tablets, multivitamin tablets, Haematinic capsules, sterile blade, pair of sterile gloves, combined dressing, cord clamps, sterile absorbent gauze swabs, misoprostol tablets, medicated soap, name tag, delivery mat/sterile cloth.
The impact of the Safe Delivery Project in Saboba has been profound; Antenatal Care (ANC) and Postnatal Care (PNC) Attendance has increased on a 79% percentile average.
This surge reflects the community’s growing trust in healthcare services and the effectiveness of our outreach programs. Most notably, the district has achieved a zero institutional maternal and neonatal mortality rate since the implementation of the project. The East Gonja and North East municipality in 2020 recorded zero percentile in maternal and neonatal deaths while Antenatal attendance increased by 86%, reflecting a growing awareness among women about the importance of prenatal care. Behind each of these numbers is a life saved and a child welcomed into a world with their mother by their side.
A mother must not lose her life in bringing life. Thanks to SEHP’s Safe Delivery Project, that tragic narrative is being rewritten—one safe delivery at a time.
