Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Women’s Utilization of Skilled Attendants at Birth in Rural Northern Ghana

Maternal mortality has become a grave concern worldwide. Ghana is one of the sub-Saharan African countries with a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 350/100,000 live births. This ratio is high when compared with other countries such as Namibia (MMR of 180/100,000 live births). Improved coverage and quality of skilled attendance at birth is one of the strategies recommended by The WHO and UNFPA to address maternal mortality. In 2000 the Ghana Health Service (GHS) began training a subset of middle level health care providers known as Community Health Officers (CHOs) to provide skilled delivery care to women in rural areas through the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) program. This study examines factors which influence women’s decision to have skilled attendants at birth in rural areas of northern Ghana. Generally, results show that 40% of women sought skilled delivery care from the CHO-midwives in the CHPS zones. Ethnicity and husband’s education play a role in women’s choice of place of delivery. We interpret these results in light of the need for the GHS to target men especially the illiterate and the Nankam ethnic group to enable them understand the importance of women receiving skilled care at birth.