Focused Post-Partum Care (FPPC)
Duration: 2021 - 2023
Background
The postpartum period remained a critical window of vulnerability for maternal health, with postnatal complications representing a leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. In Sagnarigu Municipality of Ghana’s Northern Region, new mothers historically received minimal postpartum education or clinical assessments, as health facilities predominantly focused on newborn care. This gap in maternal services left women dangerously unaware of potential life-threatening postnatal complications.
To address this systemic challenge, Savana Signatures implemented the Focused Post-Partum Care (Focused PPC) project across four health facilities (Choggu, Bagabaga, Kalpohin, and Kanvilli) with funding from the University of Notre Dame. The initiative specifically targeted the dangerous postpartum knowledge gap that put mothers at risk during this critical recovery period.
Strategy
The project adopted a comprehensive facility-based approach combining clinical care with peer-supported education. Implementation occurred through three coordinated components:
1. Clinical teams conducted targeted postpartum assessments to identify and address maternal health risks immediately after delivery.
2. Specially trained midwives delivered structured education sessions using audio-visual aids to help mothers recognize danger signs and appropriate responses.
3. The project simultaneously established peer support networks among new mothers to reinforce learning and encourage health-seeking behaviors.
Savana Signatures worked closely with Ghana Health Service to develop standardized training materials and build midwife capacity for sustained quality care. The intervention employed a controlled study design with parallel intervention and control groups across all four facilities to measure impact.
Key Highlights
1. Established 12 intervention groups (192 women) and 12 control groups for comparative impact assessment
3. Documented significantly higher knowledge retention among intervention participants:
4. 72 women in intervention groups demonstrated comprehensive understanding of danger signs
5. Over 50% exhibited improved health-seeking behaviors for postnatal complications
6. Achieved secondary benefits including increased family planning uptake among participants
7. Developed standardized Focused Postpartum training guide in collaboration with Ghana Health Service
8. Built sustainable midwife capacity through specialized training programs
9. Created replicable model for postpartum education combining clinical and peer support elements
10. Demonstrated measurable behavior change through controlled implementation study
The project successfully transformed postpartum care protocols in target facilities while generating evidence-based approaches for national scale-up. Monitoring data confirmed the intervention’s effectiveness in both knowledge transfer and tangible improvements in maternal health outcomes during the critical postnatal period.