Telecel Ghana Foundation has organized its maternal health programme, the Rural Ultrasound Initiative, in Kubori, a hard to reach community in the North East Region, offering vital healthcare screening for pregnant women.
The medical outreach team provided ultrasound scans and haemoglobin checks for 169 pregnant women, marking one of the largest rural screenings conducted under the health outreach this year. The screening exercise brought together expectant mothers from Kubori and surrounding communities including Kpatarigu, Fagbong, Yag Namoo, Wirangu, Kilaayiri, Ezesi, Sagua, Mankarigu, Gombongu, Soo and Yirangu.
The Rural Ultrasound Screening, a Telecel Ghana Foundation initiative in partnership with Divine Mother and Child Foundation and the Ghana Health Service, aims to ensure that pregnant women in underserved communities receive timely detection of complications and appropriate medical guidance throughout their pregnancy. According to the foundation, women in these communities rarely have access to diagnostic services due to distance, cost and transportation challenges to equipped health centres.
Ralina Abu, a beneficiary of the exercise, said the outreach has transformed her pregnancy experience by easing all her worries and financial burden after undergoing her first ever ultrasound and receiving the foundation’s care package. She stated that midwives shared information about her unborn baby’s health, giving her relief and confidence about her pregnancy.
During the screening exercise, two expectant mothers were diagnosed with intrauterine foetal death and one with ovarian cyst. The screening team referred early detection of these conditions to local health workers to help prevent further pregnancy complications and provide appropriate medical intervention.
Salifu Rashida, a midwife at Kubori Polyclinic, said many rural pregnant women struggle to access ultrasound services due to long distances and high costs. She explained that the free outreach by Telecel Ghana Foundation has been essential in helping detect complications early and giving mothers reassurance about their pregnancies.
Founder of DMAC Foundation Edmund Doudu recounted the difficulty of getting to Kubori by road for this outreach. He arrived covered in red dust from the hours long journey through dusty roads and humid weather to the community, describing Kubori as one of the hardest and most remote places the team has visited in 11 years of partnering with the foundation.
The Rural Ultrasound Initiative is carried out bimonthly and focuses on remote and deprived communities where maternal healthcare services remain limited. The programme supports progress toward UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 on Good Health and Well being, particularly in reducing maternal mortality rates across Ghana.
Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson, Head of Foundation, Sustainability and External Communications at Telecel Ghana, said the foundation is committed to equitable healthcare. She stressed that no woman should lack access to a simple ultrasound scan that could save her life and protect her unborn child.
As part of the outreach, healthcare personnel also conducted health education sessions on prenatal nutrition, antenatal care and the importance of regular checkups. Telecel Ghana Foundation offered care packages containing essential newborn items to support expectant mothers as they prepare for safe delivery.
The initiative has previously reached multiple communities across Ghana including Kpatia and Denugu in the Upper East Region where over 320 pregnant women benefited from free ultrasound scans. The foundation screened 251 women in Kpatia and 76 women in Denugu as part of its Connected Health programmes.
Since its inception, the Rural Ultrasound Scan initiative has aimed to improve maternal and child health in Ghana by providing vital health services to pregnant women in underserved and rural communities. The bimonthly schedule has made the initiative a cornerstone of the foundation’s community and health outreach efforts.
By offering these services free of charge, Telecel Ghana Foundation alleviates the financial burden on expectant mothers in these communities, many of whom face significant economic challenges. The initiative also focuses on educating women about pregnancy health, fostering awareness and encouraging proactive healthcare management.
By identifying potential complications early, the foundation helps reduce maternal and infant mortality rates and promotes healthier pregnancies and births across rural Ghana. Access to prenatal care is essential for the health of both mother and child, making the initiative critical for underserved populations.
The foundation has expanded its maternal health interventions to multiple regions including the Eastern, Savannah, Upper East and North East regions. Each outreach provides ultrasound screenings, haemoglobin tests, health education and care packages to support expectant mothers through pregnancy and delivery.
