Mobile Ultrasound Scan Services Increases Skilled Delivery in Rural Health Facilities: Lessons from a Pilot Public- Private Partnership Model in Rural Ghana

Background: Skilled delivery at birth has been a major challenge facing developing countries. Other options aimed at increasing skilled delivery and reducing maternal mortality such as having access to ultrasound imaging still remains unexplored and absent in many rural healthcare facilities in developing regions. Aim: To evaluate the impact on skilled delivery in two rural facilities in Ghana following the introduction of a pilot mobile obstetric ultrasound program to assess the feasibility of a public- private partnership model towards improving maternal health in rural areas. Methods: Registers at the Buipe and Zabrama health centres were reviewed to determine baseline data on utilization of maternal health services in general and deliveries specifically for midyear of 2008 to 2010. Review of midyear data for 2011 after initiation of the pilot program was also carried out to enable comparison. Results: About 15 outreach visits were organized resulting in a total of 835 obstetric ultrasound scans were performed within the period. There was a significant (p<0.0001) increase in skilled delivery in both facilities after the program. The registration of pregnant women with the national health insurance scheme at the end of the program in Buipe had increased from 155 to 222 (43%) whiles that in Zambrama had increased from 32 to 423 (1222%). Conclusion: This study shows that public- private driven initiatives such as this, do not only have the potential of increasing skilled or facility delivery, but can go a long way towards improving maternal health care in general.