ABSTACT
Having a trained birth attendant at every delivery has been identified as the single
most important way of reducing maternal mortality. However most women do not
patronise supervised delivery services even where they are available. Among the
reasons given for this state of affairs is the high cost of accessing the services.
Supervised delivery in this district was estimated at 37% in 1998, which falls below
the national figure of 44%. The actual cost to a woman for accessing this service,
and the role cost plays in determining the utilization by women is not known in this
district.
This study which was undertaken in the Kintampo district of the Brong Ahafo region
of Ghana from May to August 2000 was to investigate the cost of delivery to women
utilizing the various options of delivery: delivery at home, delivery under the
supervision of a TBA and having a supervised delivery. These costs were compared
and their effect on the choice of services by the women investigated. Women who
had delivered in the three months before the study were chosen from three settings
representing good, moderate and poor access to Orthodox health care facilities for
the survey.
It was found out that it cost a woman four to six times more to have a supervised
delivery than to deliver with a TBA or at home. The bulk of the cost was found to be
for services and drugs. Women identified cost as a very important factor in
influencing their decision on where to deliver and ranked it second only to the safety
of their life and that of their babies. Most women indicated their preference for
hospital delivery if cost were not a problem.
It is recommended that to make supervised delivery an attractive option for women
in the Kintampo district, service charges for supervised deliveries are reviewed
downwards, delivery costs are subsidised and more staff are trained to supervise
more deliveries.
Marfoh, J (2021). A study of the cost of delivery services and its roie in determining utiiization patterns of pregnant women in the Kintampo district.. Afribary. Retrieved from https://tracking.afribary.com/works/a-study-of-the-cost-of-delivery-services-and-its-roie-in-determining-utiiization-patterns-of-pregnant-women-in-the-kintampo-district
Marfoh, John "A study of the cost of delivery services and its roie in determining utiiization patterns of pregnant women in the Kintampo district." Afribary. Afribary, 31 Mar. 2021, https://tracking.afribary.com/works/a-study-of-the-cost-of-delivery-services-and-its-roie-in-determining-utiiization-patterns-of-pregnant-women-in-the-kintampo-district. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Marfoh, John . "A study of the cost of delivery services and its roie in determining utiiization patterns of pregnant women in the Kintampo district.". Afribary, Afribary, 31 Mar. 2021. Web. 25 Nov. 2024. < https://tracking.afribary.com/works/a-study-of-the-cost-of-delivery-services-and-its-roie-in-determining-utiiization-patterns-of-pregnant-women-in-the-kintampo-district >.
Marfoh, John . "A study of the cost of delivery services and its roie in determining utiiization patterns of pregnant women in the Kintampo district." Afribary (2021). Accessed November 25, 2024. https://tracking.afribary.com/works/a-study-of-the-cost-of-delivery-services-and-its-roie-in-determining-utiiization-patterns-of-pregnant-women-in-the-kintampo-district