Effect of a community-based primary healthcare programme on adverse pregnancy outcomes in Northern Ghana.

Background: Pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes are among the major contributors to poor maternal and child health. Mothers in remote communities are at higher risk of adverse birth outcomes due to constraints in access to healthcare services. In Ghana, a community-based primary healthcare programme called the Ghana Essential Health Interventions Programme (GEHIP) was implemented in a rural region to help strengthen primary healthcare delivery and improve maternal and child healthcare services delivery.

Equity in maternal healthcare utilisation in Ghana: Do community-based primary health care programmes matter?

Objective: Improving equity in the use of maternal health services in rural and remote communities is critical to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals targets on maternal and child health. This study examines the effect of a community-based primary healthcare strengthening programme on improving the utilisation of antenatal care (ANC4+), skilled delivery and health facility delivery.

Methods: Baseline and endline survey data of women of reproductive age for intervention and comparison districts were used to examine the equity impact of the Ghana Essential Health Interventions Programme (GEHIP) on antenatal care visits, skilled delivery and health facility delivery.