Optimizing task‐sharing in abortion care in Ghana: stakeholder perspectives
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Authors
Aborigo, Raymond A.
Moyer, Cheryl A.
Sekwo, Enos
Kuwolamo, Irene
Kumaga, Eugenia
Oduro, Abraham R.
Awoonor‐Williams, John K.
Issue Date
2020-07-31
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Abortion , Ghana , Maternal Mortality , Medical Abortion , Midwife , Surgical Abortion , Task‐Sharing , Task‐Shifting , Unsafe Abortion
Alternative Title
Abstract
Ghana has made progress in expanding providers in abortion care but access to the service is still a challenge. We explored stakeholder perspectives on task‐sharing in abortion care and the opportunities that exist to optimize this strategy in Ghana. We purposively sampled 12 representatives of agencies that played a key role in expanding abortion care to include midwives for key informant interviews. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then coded for thematic analysis. Stakeholders indicated that Ghana was motivated to practice task‐sharing in abortion care because unsafe abortion was contributing significantly to maternal mortality. They noted that the Ghana Health Service utilized the high maternal mortality in the country at the time, advancements in medicine, and the lack of clarity in the definition of the term “health practitioner” to work with partner nongovernmental organizations to successfully task‐share abortion care to include midwives. Access, however, is still poor and provider stigma continues to contribute significantly to conscientious objection. This calls for further task‐sharing in abortion care to include medical or physician assistants, community health officers, and pharmacists to ensure that more women have access to abortion care.
Description
Citation
Aborigo, R. A., Moyer, C. A., Sekwo, E., Kuwolamo, I., Kumaga, E., Oduro, A. R., & Awoonor-Williams, J. K. (2020). Optimizing task-sharing in abortion care in Ghana: Stakeholder perspectives. International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 150 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), 17–24. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.13000
Publisher
International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics: The Official Organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics