ASSESSING THE CONTRIBUTION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEES IN MATERNAL HEALTH CARE DELIVERY IN THE BOLGATANGA MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

Since professionals and community (grassroots) members collaborate, it is commonly considered that Community Health Committees (CHCs) have a major impact on community health and well being. They basically use a common socio-ecological lens to address many factors that affect community health and well-being in order to address issues that have been discovered. Despite all these enumerated contributions of CHCs to health care delivery in general, little has been explored about their specific roles towards the delivery of maternal and child health services and improvement of same, especially within Ghana’s much touted CHPS framework. The study aimed to assess the contribution of CHCs in the delivery of maternal and child health care within the CHPS system using the Bolgatanga Municipality as the study area. A descriptive cross-sectional qualitative study design, targeting multiple respondents was employed. Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were used in collecting data. In all, nineteen (19) in-depth interviews were conducted to augment the 22 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). The thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data. The study reveals that CHC's roles include a) making the community understand the health systems and why they should take control of their health; b) providing support to the healthcare staff, c) educating community members and creating an enabling environment for the provision of healthcare. The overall effect of this was that, these contributed to improving maternal health delivery within the catchment area. Additionally, the study found that, members of the CHCs had a very cordial relationship with the healthcare staff. The study unearthed that, some CHPS facilities lacked the essential amenities, which hindered the work of both the health committees and community health workers. The study finds that Community Health Committees (CHCs) can play a vital role in promoting community empowerment and increasing participation in health initiatives, leading to better program ownership and sustainability. However, it is crucial to provide regular training to CHC members on skills such as maternal and child health care delivery, community mobilization, dialogue, and facilitation. This training is necessary to ensure the successful functioning of CHCs, especially due to the poor incentive system that may cause members to serve shorter periods and leave. Building the capacity of new members is essential to maintaining the quality, service coverage, and influence of CHCs.