Comparison of maternal health services and indicators in three districts of the Volta Region, Ghana

Background: Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio continues to decline, but is not expected to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 target. The Ghana Health Service and Ministry of Health have displayed a high commitment to the improvement of maternal health in the country. One of the most recent partnerships directed at this is with the Korea International Cooperation Agency.Methods: This study was conducted among women between ages 15 and 49 resident in Keta Municipal, Ketu North and Ketu South districts in the Volta Region of Ghana who were pregnant or who had children aged less than five. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ghana Health Service Ethical Review Committee. Data were collected using questionnaires, entered into Stata version 12 and analyzed using frequency distribution and assessment of means. Comparisons among districts were conducted using chi square test and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The study covered 630 women whose mean age was 28.4 years. Almost all participants (99.1%) from Ketu North knew where to obtain family planning services. Use of modern contraception was highest in Ketu North with 31% of respondents using a modern method. Delivery in a health facility was highest in Keta Municipal (62.3%) with overall institutional delivery being 57.6%. Delivery by a skilled birth attendant (SBA) was also highest in Keta Municipal.Conclusion: Indicators used to assess maternal health services show a coverage of over 50% but we need to improve institutional delivery, use of modern contraception and education about danger signs in pregnancy. Funding: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (NRF-2013S1A5B8A01055336) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency(2013).Keywords: Maternal Health, Ghana, Volta Region, Family Planning, Skilled Birth Attendan