By Pauline Odhiambo

Di wahala we pikin dem dey face for Ashanti area for Ghana no be small, especially wen e reach to check dem health wit ultrasound machine wey fit show how di pikin body dey for belle.

“Afri Emo,” wey mean “Joy after struggle,” dey describe di kain wahala we women dey pass tru wen dem dey carry belle or born pikin.

But di mata no dey always end well for rural women for Ghana, as di health facilities for pregnant women no dey plenty, and dis one dey cause plenty maternal deaths.

Edmund Atweri, wey be 36 years old nurse and di executive director for one NGO wey dem dey call 'Divine Mother and Child Foundation,' dey try provide health care for pregnant women for remote areas for Ghana.

“We dey go village to use ultrasound machine check di women wey no fit afford di big hospital bills. For some areas, di nearest hospital dey far well-well,” Edmund yarn give TRT Afrika.

With im portable ultrasound machine, Edmund dey waka go di rural areas wit im car to check di pregnant women.

E talk say, “Di road for di villages no good at all, so sometimes I go park di car wen di road no fit carry am. I go use bike or even canoe to reach di villages wey dey for island.

“E dey important make I do dis waka because I sabi di kain wahala we di women dey face and how dem need di ultrasound machine well-well.”

Ultrasound dey help to check di baby for belle, see how di baby dey grow, and even know if di mama get any health issue. Even though e no dey 100% accurate, e no dey harm di mama or di baby.

But for many rural areas, dis ultrasound machine no dey. Most pregnant women dey rely on traditional methods for di care wey dem need.

Di lack of proper health care dey cause plenty deaths. According to USAID report for 2024, 18% of pregnant women dey die for Ghana, and dis one fit reduce if better care dey.

For 2023, di maternal mortality rate for Ghana na 243 per 100,000 women. E reduce small to 240 di next year, and dem dey expect am to reduce to 237 and 234 for 2025 and 2026 respectively.

Edmund talk say di experience wey e get for di village wey dem born am na wetin push am to study nursing. “I grow for village and I see how pregnant women dey go meet di traditional midwife. Some dey bleed well-well and some dey even die for di process,” e talk.

“Na wetin make me decide to study nursing be dat. I wan help women and pikin dem survive.”

As e dey work as nurse, Edmund don see di kain risk wey dey involved wen woman dey carry belle. E remember one case for Atiwa district for eastern Ghana wey dem meet one woman wey don carry belle for seven months. Di previous scan tell her say she go born twins, but wen dem check am, dem discover say di twins don die for di belle.

“Di woman don already buy baby things for di twins wey she dey expect. Di news say di twins don die pain am well-well,” Edmund talk.

For di rural areas, pregnant women dey use bike as transport, but di bad road dey affect dem, especially di ones wey di belle never strong.

Adwoa Boagye, wey be 32 years old, talk say, “Wen my belle reach three months, I go market go buy foodstuff and I use bike come back. As I reach house, I begin bleed.

“Di doctor wey I go meet check me and use ultrasound confirm say di baby dey okay. E advise me make I no dey use bike again if I get belle. I follow di advice and I born without wahala.”

Edmund dey plan to improve di health care system for pregnant women wey no get money, including better transport system for di rural areas.

E dey rely on funds from Ghana health ministry, private donors, and NGOs wey dey support di work.

“Even though we dey provide free ultrasound, plenty women still need to go hospital for other tests. My plan na to combine all di services for one place and get better work car,” Edmund talk.

“I dey motivated to do more because I wan make sure say we no dey lose women life again during childbirth.”