Improving Family Planning Service Delivery in Ghana

Author(s): Erasmus E.A. Agongo, Kofi Issah, John E. Williams, Francis Ayaba, Beatrice Kunfah, and Windfred Kombla Ofosu

Year: 2018

Abstract:

Family planning (FP) is one of the most cost-effective interventions for improving the health of children and women, and the achievement of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 (reducing under-five child mortality by two-thirds) and MDG 5 (reducing maternal mortality by three-fourths) from the 1990 figures by 2015. Despite several national and global initiatives to improve health outcomes, challenges remain in low- and middle-income countries to achieve national and global targets.

Ghana has a long history of population policies and FP programs that have contributed to increased use of contraceptive services and improved maternal and child health. However, the country has not achieved MDGs 4 and 5, particularly in the three northern regions, which are the poorest and most deprived. This study focuses on one of those areas―the Upper East Region (UER). Although the UER has made great strides in improving access to FP services, there is still a huge unmet need.

The objectives of this study were to map out the distribution of all FP service providers in the region and document how the community-based FP information system is linked to the national system as a means to recommend strategies for supporting program planning and implementation and improving FP services.