Factors Accounting for Low Supervised Delivery Services in Adansi East District

Abstract

In each year, more than 150 million women become pregnant in the world. According to WHO, 19 million of them ( more than 15% ) developed complications requiring skilled treatment. Maternal mortality in Adansi East district stands at 90 / 100,000 live births and about six out every ten deliveries occur at home. This study investigated the factors influencing women in the Adansi East to either at home or in health care facilities and reasons for their choice of place of delivery. Data Collection A structured questionnaire was administered to eighty - eight (88) women, who received antenatal care and delivered between 1st January 2001 and 31st December 2001. Also, ten (10) key informants were also interviewed to provide in - depth information on issues pertaining to home and facility delivery. Key Findings • This study showed that one in every five (i.e. 20%) women who deliver in health care facilities, had attended a secondary or higher educational institutions compared to three percent (3%) of those who delivered at home. • It was revealed that, the level of education, age, number o f antenatal visits, place of residence are some of the factors which influenced the choice of place of delivery. • Safety was the main reason for the choice o f facility delivery among 78.5% of women who delivered on health facilities while only 14.8% of those who delivered at home indicated safety to be the main reason for their choice. Key Recommendations • Greater effort should be made by the district assembly and the Feeder Road Department to improve the road network in the district to ease the transportation problems. • Community sensitisation must be intensified in the area of health education or health promotion to improve the importance of health care facilities for safe delivery. • Advocate to make delivery services free of charge since it is during this period that women experienced complications in that could lead to their death. • The district Health Management Team (DHMT) should lobby at the regional level for more midwives to be posted to the district. • Dialogue with'the Adansi East district assembly to link health post to district hospitals by wireless or Motorola services.