SAFE DELIVERY PROJECT
Supporting expectant mothers in deprived Ghanaian communities
IMPACT
The Safe Delivery Project, supports expectant mothers in deprived Ghanaian communities by providing birth kits with essential supplies and medication to ensure safe deliveries and postnatal care. The project promotes skilled delivery through training for health workers, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), and Community Health Volunteers.
The project is aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates in underserved communities through strengthened healthcare delivery systems and improved health care outcomes.
Piloted in 2018 in the East Gonja Municipality and NorthEast Gonja District of the Savannah Region, and having recorded success, the project was moved to the Saboba District in 2022.
Our Strategy
- This process is anchored around the distribution of birth kits which contain essential supplies that ensure the safe delivery of babies and their proper aftercare as well as Training, Education, and Sensitisation.
- Our approach leverages community networks of health personnel, district health staff, volunteers, and TBAs.
- Quarterly distribution is carried out at selected Health Facilities where deliveries are conducted within the target district. As a requirement to receive a birth kit, expectant mothers are required to be in their third trimester and must have attended antennal care (ANC) at least once (throughout pregnancy period and up to third trimester). This provision is to ensure that, likely hypertensive diseases of pregnancy and other conditions (anaemia) are detected, and associated risks mitigated. Anti-haemorrhaging prophylaxis tablets are also lodged with the health centres.
- The project incorporates detailed data collation tools; Form A, Form B and Form C. The Form A records information on expectant mothers such as previous place of delivery, expected place of delivery, complications in previous pregnancies, previous cord care practices etc. Form B is completed after delivery by the midwife or nurse to gather information about the status of delivery (i.e., dead or alive), nature of complications (severe bleeding, surgery etc) and their recommendations. Finally, the Form C is completed by volunteers within 7-14 days after delivery to record the mothers’ cord care practice, infections if any, condition of baby, place of delivery of baby.
Current Actions
The Saboba district
The Saboba district was selected based on an evaluation undertaken by SEHP in partnership with the Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service on the status of neonatal and maternal mortality in Ghana which ranked the Northern region and Saboba District as one of the worst affected districts with high maternal mortality rates and neonatal mortality rates.
