KHRC Empowers Midwives with Ultrasound Skills to Improve Maternal Care Through PRISMA Study
January 22, 2025 | News Feed | Reading time: 5 min
The Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC) has trained and certified five newly employed midwives to perform ultrasound scans for pregnant women participating in the PRISMA Maternal and Child Health study. This two-week intensive training was held from Monday 13th to Friday, 24th January 2025, in Kintampo. The training equipped the midwives with the skills and knowledge needed to assist KHRC’s research on maternal health.
The midwives will support the Maternal and Child Health study titled “Antenatal, Intrapartum, and Postnatal Care: A Prospective, Longitudinal Study of Maternal and Newborn Health of the Pregnancy Risk Stratification Innovation and Measurement Alliance (PRISMA)” This study, which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, gathers important information about the risks women face during pregnancy and how to improve healthcare for families in Ghana and other low- and middle-income countries.
The training was led by two highly experienced Obstetrician-Gynecologists from the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Abena Konadu Yawson and Dr. Buah Bosque Hamilton. The midwives received hands-on training in obstetric ultrasound techniques, including positioning a probe, identifying the baby’s position, and assessing the pregnancy's progress. These skills will help ensure accurate results for the study. After the training, the facilitators will continue to review the ultrasound images produced by the midwives, to ensure quality control of the images.
Dr. Yawson emphasized the importance of quality healthcare, encouraging the midwives to apply the skills they have learned to benefit the study and the pregnant women they care for. One of the trained midwives, Ellen Owusua, expressed confidence in using the ultrasound machine to perform scans. “I learnt new techniques to identify various parts of a fetus during a scan,” she added.
Beyond performing ultrasound scans, the training prepared the midwives to provide adequate care for the pregnant women and their babies, when they are born. They will monitor the health of both mothers and newborns and offer home-based Postnatal Care (PNC) services to support better health outcomes.
Through the PRISMA study, KHRC is not only equipping midwives with essential skills but also making a lasting impact on maternal and child healthcare in Ghana. This study directly benefits over 3,000 pregnant women across more than 80 communities in the Kintampo North Municipality and Kintampo South District of the Bono East Region, ensuring better health outcomes for mothers and their babies.
Learn more about the PRISMA study: https://www.kintampo-hrc.org/pages/adopt.html
