The Pediatric Society of Ghana (PSG) has trained 244 healthcare workers across the Upper West Region to cut maternal and newborn deaths under an 18-month health intervention that closed this week.
The project, run alongside the Ghana Health Service and the Upper West Regional Health Directorate, ended with a formal close-out meeting and a donation of medical equipment to facilities that took part.
PSG President and project lead Dr Hilda Mantebea Boye said training focused on equipping midwives and nurses to manage life-threatening emergencies, especially helping newborns breathe within the critical first minute after delivery, a window widely known in obstetric care as the golden minute.
A standout feature of the programme was the Live Digital Blackboard, a real-time patient monitoring system that allowed smaller health posts to upload labour data directly to district hospitals. Doctors at district level could then track progress remotely and respond early when labour stalled or complications developed.
Upper West Regional Health Director Dr Josephat Ana-Imwine Nyuzaghl confirmed that district hospitals received smart televisions while peripheral facilities were given tablets to power the digital link. He noted that PSG was among ten innovators funded by Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) to strengthen maternal and newborn outcomes across six regions of Ghana.
The project reached five districts: Nandom, Nadowli, Jirapa, Wa Municipal and Tumu. Training covered conditions including obstructed labour, postpartum bleeding, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, premature births and birth asphyxia.
Despite the gains, Dr Nyuzaghl raised concern about a troubling pattern in the region. The Upper West Region recorded 27 maternal deaths last year. “Once you lose even a single person, I think it’s problematic,” he said.
The Ministry of Health has begun stakeholder engagements to close gaps in staffing, equipment and capacity building to reduce maternal deaths nationally. PSG said a pool of newly qualified facilitators will extend the programme to districts not initially covered, ensuring the work continues beyond the project period.
