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Adisa's Journey to a Smooth Delivery of Twins by Skilled Midwife

In a remarkable turn of events, Adisa Amadu, a peasant farmer from Yikpabongo in the Mamprugu Moagduri District, experienced a life-changing event that defied the odds. For the first time in her five pregnancies, she had the privilege of delivering her twins in a safe health facility under the vigilant care of a skilled midwife.

Reflecting on her past, Adisa recalls the distressing ordeal of her first four pregnancies, which were all attended to at home by traditional birth attendants. These trying times exposed her to a host of complications that left her scarred and haunted.

“Those pregnancies were a nightmare,” she recalled as she heaved a deep sigh of relief to signal that her ordeal has come to an end.

Adisa’s plight wasn’t hers alone, as many women in the close-knit farming town found themselves in a similar situation, compelled to give birth at home under the care of traditional birth attendants due to the unavailability of midwives at the Yikpabongo CHPS facility.

However, a welcome change was brought about by the introduction of the Community Engagement for Health and Welbeing (CE4HW) approach, made possible through the USAID/ ASBC Activity.

Adisa

This transformative initiative stimulated community members in the CHPS zone to eradicate the practice of home births and boost maternal and child survival for the women in their communities.

The Community Health Management Committee, in collaboration with the sub-district head, and community health officers, embarked on a mission to secure a resident midwife for the health facility.

After a series of lobbying the District Health Management Team, their persistent efforts bore fruit when in the last quarter of 2022, a midwife was assigned to the Yikpabongo CHPS facility.

Adisa’s joy was evident as she recounted, “For the first time, the delivery of my twins was smooth, without any complications. It was truly a blessing.” She went on to describe her journey towards a healthy pregnancy, emphasising the crucial support she received from the midwife and nurses in overcoming anaemia and swollen legs.

Expressing gratitude for the intervention, Adisa looked forward to a brighter future for women in her community. With access to a skilled midwife, the chances of Adisa complications during childbirth are reduced, and the survival rate of newborns is significantly improved.

She passionately advised pregnant women to prioritise clinic visits and take their antenatal care seriously.

However, Adisa expressed her concerns about the midwife’s workload, urging authorities to consider posting more personnel to the CHPS facility to further enhance maternal and newborn childcare.

The USAID/ASBC Activity, being executed by a consortium of partners, including Savana Signatures, aims to promote healthy behaviours and practices in 17 districts across northern Ghana, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes for communities.

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