Despite
the numerous achievements that have taken place over
the years, Ghana's health delivery system still struggles
to
meet the needs of the citizens of Ghana. Within this
system, the public health service plays a very important
role in
promoting maternal and child health care through the
provision of antenatal, postnatal, and child health services.
Despite
their hard work the World Health Organization estimated
Ghana's maternal mortality ratio to be 540
deaths per 100,000 live births, and its infant mortality
ratio to be 61.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000.
In comparison, the United States had a infant mortality
ratio of 7.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, and a maternal
mortality ratio of 14 dealths per 100,000 live births in
2000.
Currently the public health system in Ghana is inadequately
staffed
in
relation
to
the sheer workload. Therefore,
clients who visit these facilities do not receive the
full benefits that such facilities could potentially
offer.
Women in greater Accra, Ghana often wait up to 9 hours
per day at the antenatal clinic to see a doctor or
midwife for approximately three to five minutes. This
does not
give them enough time to learn about what is happening
to their bodies and what they might expect next from
their pregnancy. Therefore, women and their partners
are turning
to unqualified or untrained citizens for answers to
their questions. The information they receive often contradicts
the recommendations that a health professional would
give
if he or she had the time to adequately counsel clients.
This ultimately defeats the original aims and objectives
of the antenatal and postnatal system and even places
mothers at greater risk for complications.
The founder
of Eve's
Foundation recognized, through her 22 years of professional
experience as a nurse midwife and public health nurse,
that the severe lack of education women and men received
about their reproductive health was adversely affecting
their lives and birth outcomes. Eve's Foundation believes
that by ensuring that women and men are properly educated
about all facets of their reproductive health, women
who experience complications during pregnancy, or while
breastfeeding,
will seek proper medical care promptly and thereby
reduce Ghana's maternal and infant mortality
and morbidity.