Factors related to retention of postgraduate trainees in obstetrics-gynecology at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

Purpose: The retention of health care workers in developing countries is a key component to reducing the current health care workforce crisis. The availability of postgraduate medical training in developing countries could be an appropriate adjunctive solution. The authors investigated factors that led obstetrics-gynecology (ob/gyn) residents at a university-based academic training program at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (Accra, Ghana) to stay in Ghana for training and explored why the residents expect to stay in (or leave) Ghana after training.

Reproductive age mortality survey (RAMOS) in Accra, Ghana.

Background: Maternal mortality remains a severe problem in many parts of the world, despite efforts to reach MDG 5. In addition, underreporting is an issue especially in low income countries. Our objective has been to identify the magnitude of maternal deaths and the degree of underreporting of these deaths in Accra Metropolis in Ghana during a one year period.

Quality of life, optimism/pessimism, and knowledge and attitudes toward HIV Screening among pregnant women in Ghana.

Objective: We sought to explore optimism/pessimism, knowledge of HIV, and attitudes toward HIV screening and treatment among Ghanaian pregnant women.

Method: Pregnant women in Accra, Ghana, completed a self-administered questionnaire including the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R, an optimism/pessimism measure), an HIV knowledge and screening attitudes questionnaire, the Short Form 12 (SF-12, a measure of health-related quality of life [HRQOL]), and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, correlations, and the chi2 test.

Who will be there when women deliver? Assuring retention of obstetric providers.

The Safe Motherhood Initiative has highlighted the need for improved health services with skilled attendants at delivery and the provision of emergency obstetric care. "Brain drain" has hampered this process and has been particularly prevalent in Ghana. Between 1993 and 2000, 68% of Ghanaian trained medical school graduates left the country.