At Savana Signatures, we firmly believe that making good use of evidence is essential to enhancing the way in which programmes and policies are implemented. With this background, our aim is to close the information gap between the information needed to generate creative ideas and its utilization for innovative solutions that furthers the attainment of our vision.
By reviewing, synthesising, and encouraging the use of research evidence, we aim not only to promote the adoption and use of research evidence, but also to utilize them ourselves to initiate positive change among girls, women, youth and vulnerable populations of Ghana to facilitate their reproductive health and rights, quality education and livelihood and economic empowerment.
To achieve the above, and to also contribute to closing the most pertinent and significant evidence gaps, we collaborate with other researchers, institutions and critical stakeholders to draw on a diverse range of research and evaluation methodologies and disciplines, depending on the research questions at hand.
The following constitutes our research portfolio:
- Research Fund
In 2017, Savana Signatures set up the Technology for Maternal and Child Health (T4MCH) Research Fund. This was in partnership with Salasan Consulting, a Canadian organisation and was supported by Global Affairs Canada. The purpose of the T4MCH research fund was to provide financial support to Ghanaian researchers in the field of medicine, public/community health and social sciences to address issues relevant to MMR and NMR in Northern Ghana.
Research Project Title
Neonatal mortality, risk factors and maternal perceptions at the Upper West Regional Hospital and St Joseph’s District Hospital, Jirapa.
Lead Researcher
Dr Edem Tette
Institution
University of Ghana
Research Project Title
Leveraging lessons from practice and research to guide actions toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal for Neonatal Mortality.
Lead Researcher
Dr Amos Laar
Institution
Center for Learning and Childhood Development, Ghana
Research Project Title
A Multilevel mixed methods study of neonatal mortality in Ghana.
Lead Researcher
Shadrach Dare
Institution
University of Cape Coast
Research Project Title
An Empirical Analysis of the Causes and Trends in Maternal Mortality in Northern Ghana.
Lead Researcher
Salifu Mubarik
Institution
Zonzongili Development Associates Ltd
Research Project Title
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Cord Care Among Newborns by Mothers/Caregivers in the Volta Region.
Lead Researcher
Sybill Sory
Institution
Ghana Health Servic
Research Project Title
Assessing the Causes of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Some Selected Districts in the Upper West Region of Ghana
Lead Researcher
Alexander Laar
Institution
2. Research Partnership with Kennesaw State University and Notre Dame University
In 2018, Savana Signatures started a research partnership with the WellStar School of Nursing at the Kennesaw State University in the United States of America through Dr. Yenupini Joyce Adams who was at the time, an Assistant Professor at the Kennesaw State University.
In 2021, another relationship was started with the Eck Institute for Global Health of the University of Notre Dame. The University of Notre Dame’s Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH) serves as a university-wide enterprise that recognizes health as a fundamental human right and works to promote research, training, and service to advance health standards and reduce health disparities for all. Through the instrumental leadership of Dr. Yenupini Joyce Adams, the Global Maternal Research Lead of the Eck Institute for Global Health and the research team at Savana Signatures, the following research activities have been undertaken
Research Project Title
Focus Postpartum Care Among Women In Ghana
Name of Lead Researcher
Dr. Yenupini Joyce Adam
(Principal Investigator)
University of Notre Dame
Stephen Agbenyo
(Co-Principal Investigator)
Savana Signatures
Research summary
This is a clinical trial aimed at pilot testing and evaluating an innovative postpartum care, education, and support model in the northern Region of Ghana.
Research Project Title
Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Insecurity and Maternal-Newborn Health (MNH) in Tamale, Ghana
Name of Lead Researcher
Dr. Ellis Adjei Adams
University of Notre Dame
Research summary
The purpose of this study is to examine how water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) insecurity affects maternal and newborn health (MNH).
Research Project Title
Readiness For Discharge and Knowledge of Complications Among Postpartum Women in Ghana
Name of Lead Researcher
Elizabeth Hurt-Lau
Graduate Student
University of Notre Dame
Research summary
The purpose of this study was to assess postpartum women’s perceived readiness for discharge and their knowledge of postpartum complications prior to discharge from a healthcare facility.
Research Project Title
Health Choices Women make for their Newborns and Themselves and the Factors leading to these Decisions during the Postpartum Period
Name of Lead Researcher
Katherine Jenning
Undergraduate Student University of Notre Dame
Research summary
The aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence women’s health choices during the postpartum period and its effect on health outcomes of maternal and newborn care in Northern Ghana.
Research Project Title
Social Support in Postpartum Care, Tamale - Ghana
Name of Lead Researcher
Mariama S. Dampha
Master of Global Affairs + Global Health Specialization Candidate
Keough School of Global Affairs
Research summary
This research aimed to examine the critical roles of postpartum women's social support networks (mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law) in the decisions and practices for recovery, self-care, newborn care, and access and utilization of health care services during postpartum and postnatal periods.
3. Other Research Assignments
ICT Landscape Assessment
This research was conducted as part of the FHI led USAID ASBC Activity in Ghana. The ASBC Consortium sought to understand the various ICT interventions available and how the existing ICT programming can be leveraged on to deliver healthcare services. This landscape assessment was conducted in across the 17 USAID priority districts in northern Ghana.