Piloting Portable Ultrasounds in Rural Ghana

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

For women living in rural locations in Ghana, portable ultrasounds may be a useful tool in preventing pregnancy complications. Although the World Health Organization recommends that pregnant women have at least four antenatal care visits and skilled attendants at birth, many pregnant women in rural communities in low-income countries do not meet these recommendations.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Ghana, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, ETH Zurich, and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia recently published the results of their 11-month pilot study.

The aim of the study, which focused on 323 women from four rural communities in the Central Region of Ghana, was to increase the number of antenatal care visits, reduce home deliveries, and supplement care given by antenatal clinics. They tested a system of care based on low-cost mobile phones and portable ultrasound scan machines in the pilot. In each community, at least one community health worker was trained and equipped with a mobile phone to promote antenatal and hospital deliveries.

Source: Huffington Post (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Health Care