Program design
WEST
The project ‘Strengthening the knowledge of women in the community through health education on the importance and utilization of maternal health services (ANC, facility delivery, and PNC)’ was implemented by community-based Maternal Health Agents (COMHAs) and midwives from June 2019-July, 2020. It was to improve the utilization of maternal healthcare services by pregnant women in two subdistricts in Sissala East and another two in the Sissala West Districts. The project reached out to women who have had a pregnancy experience before the present study. The intervention was delivered to women through a multi-pronged intervention which included: sensitizing family members, community mobilization, and capacity building of frontline health functionaries. One component of the intervention had a continuous counseling strategy using pregnancy classes that were held individually and in groups with pregnant women, their husbands, and other family members. Advocacy meetings were also conducted with influential community members such as village chiefs, local government leaders, and religious leaders to foster an enabling environment for improving pregnant women’s access to, and uptake of maternal healthcare services. Another component of the intervention (awareness, promotion, and use of maternal health services through social and behavior change communication), was implemented by community maternal health service promoters to sensitize pregnant mothers and assist mothers to identify risk factors during pregnancy, delivery and postnatal care. Volunteers from the community who were chosen by the community served as the program implementors. The corresponding author (the District Director of Health Services), one physician (a Family Physician), a midwife, and a health information officer led the training. The lead investigator (Corresponding author) and District Health Administration self-funded the activities.