Factors Influencing Domiciliary Deliveries in the West Gonja District

Abstract

This study was done to explore the factors influencing domiciliary deliveries in the West Gonja District despite high antenatal care coverage in the health facilities. The study sought to: assess the socio-cultural perceptions about the choice of place of delivery, assess the role of cost considerations in women‟s choice of place of delivery and to examine the institutional and health systems‟ factors influencing the choice of place of delivery. A population-based qualitative and quantitative study was used to collect data for the study. A sample of 360 women attending ante-natal clinic at various health facilities participated in the survey. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 community members including women in their child-bearing age, married men, religious leaders, health workers and Traditional Birth Attendants. Findings from the study revealed that the majority of the women representing 82.8% preferred to deliver at home because of the following reasons: lack of transport to health facilities, inability to acquire delivery items, proving their faithfulness to their husbands and families, concealing their nakedness, high cost of transport to the health facility, long distance to the facility and the poor attitude of healthcare personnel towards them. Findings from the qualitative interviews also revealed that, the majority of the women delivered at home because of the poor attitudes of health workers towards them, high transport cost to the facility and inability to buy delivery items needed at the facility. The development of a functional ambulance system in the district and the education of women on cultural beliefs that will encourage facility delivery should be embarked on by the District Health Management Team and the District Assembly. The policy of free delivery should also be made known to women to encourage facility deliveries.