Project News

The project conducted the national dissemination seminar in Accra at Golden Tulip Hotel on 2nd December 2021. Participants were from the Ministry of Health, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), WHO, UNFPA, WFP, USAID, Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), University of Ghana, Ministry of Finance, Teaching hospitals, directors, and staff of various divisions of Ghana Health Service (GHS) HQ, Regional Health Teams of GHS from all 16 regions, Ajinomoto Foundation, JICA Ghana Office and others. The total number of participants was 103.

Dr. Kofi Issah, Director of Family Health Division, GHS, Project Manager, opened the seminar with his welcome address. He introduced the objectives, which were to share best practices and lessons learned and to discuss the sustainability mechanisms of the MCH RB program.

Dr. Patrick Aboagye, Director-General, GHS/Project Director, addressed the importance of the MCH Record Book (MCH RB) as a national tool and mentioned that the government should be responsible to provide MCH RB for all pregnant women. DG also encouraged GHS and partners to work together for further promotion and sustainability of the MCH RB program. DG pointed out that the relevant logistics and financial support to health providers and the continuous capacity building were necessary for sustainability. Finally, DG expressed gratitude for the hard work of the JICA expert team, GHS counterparts, and stakeholders who contributed to the successful implementation of the MCH RB project.

Chief Executive of NHIA, Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, stated that she recognized MCH RB was a tool to prevent risks of illness early and avoid unnecessary treatment among mothers and children and promote UHC. She added that NHIA printed 500,000 MCH RB in 2021 and was willing to produce more books in 2022.

JICA Chief Representative, Mr. Araki Yasumichi, expressed his deep appreciation to the MOH, GHS, and others who worked hard on the MCH RB project. He appreciated the strong leadership and commitment of GHS and MOH to run the MCH RB program in Ghana. He stated that JICA would continue to support Ghana with other partners to sustain the achievement of the project.

Catherine Adu-Asare (MCH RB Project) & Dr. Akiko Hagiwara (Chief Advisor, Ghana MCH RB Project) presented the overall achievement of the project. Olivia Timpo, Reginal Nutrition Officer, Ashanti Region, presented their experiences in Ashanti Region. The introduction of the MCH RB was a chance to strengthen health workers' capacity to provide client-centered respectful care utilizing the MCH RB. Health workers provided counseling on MCH and Nutrition utilizing the personal health records and illustrations in the MCH RB, and mothers understand and remember the recommended actions well.

• The project supported GHS to develop and print 1.9 million MCH Record Book in 2018-2021 and the GHS distributed them nationwide.
• To ensure capacity building nationwide, the project supported GHS to train 939 facilitators in all districts. The core team of regional and district level facilitators served as the resource persons conducting training, orientation, mentoring, and on-the-job coaching and supervision to health workers in their respective facilities, districts, and regions. The project supported the training of 652 health workers ( of some major hospitals and districts) and M&S in all 16 regions at 146 health facilities.
• While the project supported the GHS for the national rollout of the MCH RB, GHS selected 11 districts in Ashanti Region as model districts for more effective utilization of the MCH Record Books. Key additional activities conducted in these model districts were training, regular mentoring and coaching to 990 health workers, donations of weighing scales, height/length board, and HB measuring equipment to health facilities, and the support to districts to conduct SBCC activities to disseminate key MCH and Nutrition messages to the community members. Nutrition Services are integrated into routine MCH services.
• MCH RB were utilized at all health facilities (National M&S2)
• 81% of mothers nationwide and 99% mothers in 11 districts received nutrition counseling at ANC and/or CWC.
• Delivery and PNC for mothers and children are recorded better on MCH RB. 83% of MCH RB had the date of birth and weight at birth at national M&S, while it was 93% and 98% in 11 districts. PNC record, such as uterus size after delivery, improved from 24% to 46% MCH RB nationwide and from 24% to 77% in the 11 districts.
• Length/Height measurement for a child started nationwide with the introduction of MCH RB. Measurement of length/height of children was "done well" at 86% of health facilities nationwide and 98% in the 11 districts. Plotting length/height on the growth chart was done well at 23% nationwide and 93% in the 11 districts
• Positive experience of care was promoted with the MCH Record Book. More than 90% of mothers nationwide felt free to ask questions during the counseling, and more than 90% of mothers can recall what the health provider suggested at the counseling. 95% of mothers in national 99% of mothers in 11 districts know the date of the next visit. Direct observation at the M&S also revealed measures to protect privacy was taken at 72% of health facilities nationwide and 80% of facilities in 11 districts.
• Continuum of Care (COC) was promoted and 92% of mothers and children in focus 11 districts received all COC services (ANC4+, SD, PNC3) .

Health workers who received training and post-training coaching built the capacity to provide quality MCH and nutrition counseling services utilizing MCH RB. As a result, more mothers and families understood MCH and Nutrition messages, accessed more services, and demonstrated better feeding practices.

During the discussion session, the participants requested to document the good practices in Ashanti Region in the policy brief as the other regions want to learn from their experiences.

Continuous provision of the MCH RB, and capacity building among health workers, were two key issues discussed for sustainability. Regional health directors expressed their willingness to sustain training, orientation, monitoring, and coaching for the effective use of the MCH handbook, whether at the regional, district, or facility level.

At the end of the seminar, the project documentary movie was presented to wrap up the project activities and achievements. (See the documentary here: National Rollout of the Ghana Maternal and Child Health Record Book - YouTube (external link))

Members of the Project are grateful for this opportunity to wrap up the achievement of the Project and share with key stakeholders what we achieved and what we could not. We were also content to witness the commitment made by GHS, MOH, NHIA, and partners to protect, nurture and sustain the MCH RB program as a national program.

Project banners at the venue

Project banners at the venue

(see the contents of the banners in https://www.jica.go.jp/project/english/ghana/010/materials/index.html)

Dr. Patrick Aboagye, Director-General, GHS/ Project Director, making opening remarks at the seminar

JICA Chief Representative, Mr. Araki Yasumichi, at his remarks

Participants from all 16 regions and various divisions of GHS, MOH, and partners

Participants from all 16 regions and various divisions of GHS, MOH, and partners

Chief Executive of NHIA, Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, at her remarks

Veronica Quartey, Nutrition Officer, GHS presented the achievement of Nutrition Counselling Services with MCH RB