A Health Systems Strengthening Initiative in Rural Ghana: The Impact of the Ghana Essential Health Interventions Program on Use of ANC Services

Patrick Asuming, University of Ghana
Ayaga Bawah, Regional Institute for Population Studies

This paper presents the effects of a health systems strengthening program on use of ANC services in rural northern Ghana. The Ghana Essential Heath Interventions Program (GEHIP) tested the proposition that strengthening health system building blocks at the district level could lead to improvements health system functioning and improve maternal and child health outcomes. The interventions included expanding the range of primary health care functionality; training volunteers the in WHO “integrated management of childhood illness” regimen; simplifying and improving information systems; assuring appropriate logistics and supplies; developing a tool for budgeting that links financial planning with burden of disease; and redirecting leadership training to community engagement and resource mobilization. Interventions were implemented 3 district with another four districts are comparison. Our results show that GEHIP did not increase the use of ANC services but rather improved the quality of ANC services received