Woman360 Initiative Launched To Boost Antenatal And Maternal Healthcare

Woman360, an initiative that seeks to bridge the gap of inequality in the provision of antenatal care for pregnant women and children, has been launched.

According to a 2019 study, access to maternal healthcare services remains a major development challenge globally, particularly in Africa.

Some of the causes include busy work schedules impeding antenatal services, financial constraints, and lack of education.

The launch, held at the Nyarkoa Clinic in Accra saw patrons enlightened on the focus of the project towards ensuring that health personnel attend to pregnant women early to detect and prevent risk conditions all throughout the period of labour.

The Woman360 Franchise seeks to roll-out standardized model of quality maternal care to bring antenatal service to the doorstep of clients.

On maternal mortality, Ghana in 2018 recorded 128 deaths per 100,000 live births as against 144 per the same number of deliveries in 2017.

Despite the slight increase, it still falls short of global targets for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health targets to reach a maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Chief Executive of Nyarkoa Clinic, Dr. Charles Brew Longdon, explained that the new franchise will be critical to the holistic well-being of the mother from the stage of pregnancy through to the delivery.

“Each stage of maternal care should be a positive experience in ensuring women and their babies reach their full potential in health and wellness.”

According to him, the clinic through this initiative is committed to providing high end quality healthcare to outliers.
He emphasized that the franchise has expanded to encapsulate maternal and child care in a bid to improve the lives of the parties.

Out of over 300,000 women who died in 2015 globally as a result of pregnancy related causes, 64 percent of these deaths occurred in Africa.

The CEO further explained that they are open to collaborating with stakeholders to ensure the effective development of children.

An official of the Municipal Health Directorate in the Klottey Korle District of the Greater Accra Region, Dora Cobbina, reiterated the essence of comprehensive health care in the country.

The Sustainable Development Goals have targeted a reduction in global maternal global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100 000 live births by the year 2030.

On the back of this, Mrs. Cobbina believes the initiative will go a long way to reduce many complications including pregnancy induced hypertension, anemia among others.

“Improving the health of women in their reproductive stage as well as children will see to saving the lives of more than half a million of these category of people who die as part of complications of pregnancy and childbirth each year,” she added.

She also commended the team for the conception of the Woman360 idea and the decision to see to bringing antenatal healthcare to the doorstep of women.

Country Director for Pharm Access International, Dr. Maxwell Antwi, said a structured high quality antenatal care is critical in reducing the country’s high mortality rate.

Dr. Antwi further explained that this is also being to develop the private sector.

Medical Director of the Airport Women’s Hospital, Dr. Paul Ennin, said “the whole idea about antenatal care is to pick up supervised women’s pregnancies to pick up abnormalities early, deal with it and be able to offer the woman a safe environment and a safe delivery.”

Managing Director of Resolve Medical Services, Dr. Padi Ayertey, said Women360 “wishes to bring antenatal service to the doorsteps of the clients at the quality that they are used to at the hospital that they typically go to.”

The project is available in the Greater Accra Region currently, but will be expanded in the near future.