Ghana
Awareness Session and Street Theater
The Healthier & Happier Life Foundation (HHLF) in collaboration WPA commemorated the WPSD in Accra, Ghana by organizing an awareness session and street theater on patient safety. In the downtrodden community of Jorge town, this street theatre (drama) was presented to the people in simple language.
The drama was followed by a panel presentation by two pregnant women, followed by an open discussion and a presentation by a midwife who understands in-depth the issues complicating safe maternal and newborn care in the community. Pre- and post-event surveys were conducted to evaluate knowledge on red flags during pregnancy, after delivery and in the newborn as well as knowledge and attitude/practices of safe maternal and newborn care. In addition, there was an overall evaluation of the event.
A total of 151 community members participated in the event. Out of these, 35 (23.2%) completed the pre-event questionnaire while 38 (25.2%) completed the post-event questionnaire. These included pregnant women, adolescents, nursing mothers, and women representatives of local associations who were to serve as ambassadors to carry the knowledge they gained to the association members. A few men were also present. The pre-event evaluation showed a high number of participants not knowing about the danger signs of pregnancy. However, the post-evaluation showed significant improvement in information level as all respondents recognized the red flags during pregnancy and after delivery. All respondents stated the event was a good way for them to learn about safe maternal and newborn care. Other partners of the event included the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ussher Polyclinic, Jamestown Maternity, Ga Mashie Development Authority (GaMADA), and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).