A Maternal and Child Health Study Led by KHRC Benefits Thousands of Women in the Middle Belt of Ghana
January 09, 2025 | News Feed | Reading time: 5 min
Thousands of pregnant women in over 80 communities in the Kintampo North Municipality and Kintampo South District of the Bono East Region of Ghana are receiving essential support through a maternal and child health study led by the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC), with funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As of December 2024, over 2,123 pregnant women had been enrolled in the study and benefitted from free ultrasound scans to check if their babies are healthy and growing well. These ultrasound scans are performed by midwives who have been trained and certified in ultrasound scanning through this study.
This maternal and child health study titled, “Antenatal, Intrapartum, and Postnatal Care: A Prospective, Longitudinal Study of Maternal and Newborn Health of the Pregnancy Risk Stratification Innovation and Measurement Alliance,” (PRISMA) gathers important information about the risks women face during pregnancy and how to make healthcare better for families in Ghana and other low- and middle-income countries.
The women who benefit from this PRISMA study also enjoy free medical and laboratory screening services including oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for diagnosing gestational diabetic conditions, thyroid function test, kidney and liver function tests, and screening for chlamydia, gonorrhea, bacterial vaginosis, among others. Pregnant women would usually have to pay for these services, which are not part of the routine care provided at antenatal clinics at the health facilities. The PRISMA study therefore offers these services for free, reducing the financial burden families would have faced to get them
In addition to being trained as certified sonographers who perform scans for the women, the PRISMA study has equipped the midwives with the needed knowledge and skills to care for the pregnant women and their children ensuring better health outcomes for them. The midwives monitor the health and wellbeing of the mothers and their babies and provide them with Postnatal Care (PNC) services at home. This ensures that they receive the essential care they need, especially in the first three days after delivery, even if they do not visit the health facility to access these services.
Mothers like 29-year-old *Ataa, are grateful for the support. She explained that “when I was told that I will get ultrasound scans and other lab tests for free, I could not believe it because I spent a lot of money to do these tests in my previous pregnancies. The scans showed that my baby was healthy, and the midwife explained everything to me. They [researchers] also do many other tests that are not done in the hospitals, so I get to know a lot more about my pregnancy this time around. They told me they will continue to take care of me after I give birth to my baby, so I am really happy.”
The PRISMA study, which started in December 2022 and expected to end in December 2025, is supported by a passionate team of field and laboratory staff who work directly with the women within the communities. The continuous training and monthly refresher courses empower these field staff to relate well with study participants and gather the right data that will inform future healthcare improvements. Through free services, better-trained midwives, and important data gathered, this study is improving lives and making healthcare stronger in the communities it serves.
Learn more about the PRISMA Study https://www.kintampo-hrc.org/pages/adopt.html
*Name has been changed for data protection reasons