The Rural Initiatives for Self Empowerment Ghana (RISE-Ghana), a Non-Governmental Organisation, is complementing efforts of the Upper East Regional Health Directorate to reduce infant and neonatal deaths.
Cultural and traditional beliefs have been identified as some of the major causes to infant and neonatal deaths in many communities in the region.
Mr Awal Ahmed Kariama, the Executive Director of RISE-Ghana, in an interview at the end of a focus group discussion at Navio, said the project dubbed, “Mother Baby Friendly Health Facility Initiative (MBFHI) Project” was to ensure increase demand for ante-natal and post natal services, early initiation of breast feeding by every new mother within 30 minutes after birth, exclusive breastfeeding and promote basic essential new-born care including Kangaroo Mother Care.
To help confront the cultural barriers that prevent the adoption of optimal breastfeeding behaviour, as well as create demand for ante-natal and post-natal services, the NGO he said was embarking on community mobilization, advocacy and sensitization programmes.
Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with support from UNICEF Ghana and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the programme would target traditional rulers, mothers of new born babies, pregnant women, husbands, mothers-in-law, community leaders, religious leaders, the informal sector actors and change agents in the Kassena Nankana West District.
The targeted persons and groups would also be taught proper cord care among others using existing GHS protocols and the need to provide respectful, courteous and supportive facility-based care for every mother and every baby at the health facility level.
Mr Kariama, explained that the organisation had so far organised focus group discussions and advocacy fora across 32 communities in the district to increase demand for optimal breastfeeding, skill delivery and maternal and new born care services in line with the national newborn strategy and the SDGs.
He said advocacy programme would also focus on areas including care during pregnancy, labour and delivery; postnatal care with more emphasis on the first 24 hours and first week of life; early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding of up to six months including lactation management, infant and young child feeding; as well as care of the sick child and good hygiene practices.
The GHS targets of National Newborn Strategy and action plan aim at increasing the proportion of deliveries conducted by trained skilled birth attendants from 68% in 2011 to 82% in 2018; increase the proportion of babies receiving the first postnatal visit within 48 hours from 56% in 2011 to 90% in 2018.
It also seeks to increase the proportion of babies receiving the second postnatal visit by day seven from 40% in 2013 to at least 80% by 2018; increase early initiation of breastfeeding (within 30 minutes of birth) from 46% in 2011 to 80% in 2018; and increase exclusive breastfeeding at six months from 46% in 2011 to 85% in 2018.
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Source: GNA