Accelerate-Ghana Coalition progress presenation

DR. ABDALLAH IBRAHIM, CPH School of Public Health University of Ghana

Post-doc Coordinator – Accelerate Project

Project Title 

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Accelerating progress towards attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) 4 and 5 in Ghana through basic health systems functioning strengthening (Accelerate Project) Project Duration: 2011 - 2015

Accelerate Project - Ghana 

Accelerate involves six PhD researchers in three disciplines, namely:  Clinical

Epidemiology,  Medical Anthropology,  Health Policy & Health Systems 

The PhD researchers focusses on health care improvements to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in Ghana.

Accelerate Project – Ghana/Netherlands Team

The Accelerate Project 

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Explore “how” and “why” clinical decision making for maternal and newborn care by frontline providers (doctors, clinical, public and community health nurses and midwives) is done in the health system Explore what interventions would be most appropriate to support and improve the quality of clinical care decision making.

Accelerate Project - Progress 

Project is currently at a “mixed-stage”, including:  Completed

data collection  Completed draft manuscripts  Data analyses 

Peer-reviewed article publications in:  BMC  PlosOne  Health

Policy and Planning  Health Research Policy and Systems

Sample Progress of (Accelerate) PhD studies Study

Short title

Study design (data source)

Outcome

Statistical method

Progress so far

Study I

Risk factors for neonatal mortality

Cross sectional (DHS)

Neonatal mortality

Multilevel logistic regression

Published

Study II

Neonatal data validation

Routine hospital data

Data accuracy

Error rate & % of missing data estimation

Published

Study III

Risk factors for LBW

Cross sectional (DHS)

Low birth weight

Multilevel logistic regression

Published

Study IV

Trends in childhood mortality: impacts & challenges of health programs

Longitudinal study (DHS) Trends in childhood mortality

Trend analysis & Poisson regression

Completed

Study V

Effect of maternal Cross sectional (DHS) health insurance status on utilization of the continuum of care

Antenatal, Skilled Logistic regression delivery and postnatal care utilization

Completed

Study VI

Variations in neonatal mortality across 49 Sub-Saharan Africa countries

Cross sectional (World Health Organization & World Bank)

Variation in neonatal mortality

Control chart, and spatial analysis

Completed

Study VII

Prediction model for stillbirth

Hospital data

Stillbirth

Logistic regression

Data quality check & analysis

Accelerate Project Stakeholders 

National level  Ghana

Health service  Ministry of Health 

Sub-national and Facility level  Health

care centers  Frontline health workers (Nurses, doctors, midwives)  District health managers 

Individual level  Pregnant



women

Stakeholders are involved at all levels

Stakeholder engagement strategies 

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Accelerate researchers have used various methods to engage the key stakeholders in their research. They include:  Ethnography  Individual  Dialogues

meetings

Key research findings Accelerate is advancing for stakeholder actions

Findings

Community socioeconomic deprivation positively associated with neonatal death regardless of individual characteristics

Findings

Dwelling in rural area, community poverty level, illiteracy level, safe water coverage & Community healthcare access increased the risk of having LBW infant

KT Challenges in Accelerate 

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KT-related challenges in Accelerate incliude differences in progress/timeline among the researchers Difference in timeline impedes identifying and packaging an integrated project message

KT Products generated or accomplished 

Activities generated or accomplished under Accelerate  Policy

briefs  Shared findings at meetings  Presentations and poster contest at conferences 

Additional KT products/activities planned  Stakeholder

dissemination with KTNet-Africa  Media products

Support from KTNet-Africa

The End Questions  Comments  Discussion 