Meet the homegrown innovators transforming Ghana’s maternal health landscape

In rural parts of Ghana, community health workers face numerous challenges. Emergency referrals are often hampered by unreliable transport and poor network connectivity. Many health workers operate with limited resources, and some rural facilities go without midwives, reliable electricity, and proper structures. These challenges impact the most vulnerable Ghanaians: mothers and their children.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) aims to tackle this through a novel approach: by harnessing the expertise of local innovators to address local challenges. The Country Innovation Platform, a partnership between the GHS, Grand Challenges Canada, USAID, and Amp Health, has selected eight innovations from a pool of 135 applicants to test in an initial 18-month phase running until June 2026. These innovations, listed below, are set to benefit more than 9 000 Ghanaians during the testing phase.

Amp Health Management Partner, Chioma Ogbozor (second left) alongside Ghana CIP participants at the co-creation workshop

Affordable tricycle ambulances bridging the rural healthcare gap

People living in rural areas of Ghana often struggle to access emergency healthcare due to the distance to clinics and the availability and cost of transport, especially in the underserved Upper West region, sometimes resulting in loss of life. Moving Health Foundation will deploy 10 tricycle ambulances that are designed and manufactured locally and equipped with GPS tracking capabilities. These ambulances are constructed to minimise bumpiness for patients on difficult roads and cost 1-2% of the price of a traditional ambulance. This project is set to benefit 1 000 people including ambulance staff, district health officials, and patients.

A smart digital partograph for safe labour and timely referrals

The Maame-Dromo mobile app, developed by Emperor Software Limited, will modernise the traditional partograph – a snapshot of foetal and maternal health during labour. The digital partograph offers an enhancement over its paper counterpart that seeks to ensure realtime identification of complications, more objective data collection, streamlined reporting for premature births, and seamless emergency obstetric and neonatal medical dispatch within an integrated referral network. This initiative will directly impact an estimated 700 healthcare providers and patients in the Northern and Northeast regions

Chioma visiting a clinic in rural Ghana.

Expanding emergency diagnostics with a rapid-diagnostic tool

Point of Care Ultrasonography (POCUS) is an advanced and rapid diagnostic tool that can be used in emergency and bedside settings to diagnose blood clots, internal bleeding, gallstones, and heart or lung problems. The Society of Family Physicians of Ghana aims to train and mentor 32 healthcare workers in the effective use of POCUS using a multi-modal approach that includes in-person and online training, mentorship and scan review, and ongoing educational support. This intervention is expected to facilitate immediate obstetric decision-making leading to improved maternal and neonatal health (MNH) outcomes for more than 450 people in the Western and Savannah regions.

Integrating community pharmacies into routine MNH care

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana will integrate community pharmacies into routine MNH care, establish a Revolving Medicines Fund (where medicine is sold at cost plus a mark-up, and the revenue generated is used to replenish medicine stocks), and build the capacity of community pharmacy staff in the Upper West and Upper East regions. It also aims to link all selected pharmacies to the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform, giving nationwide oversight of medicine stock. This project is expected to improve access to basic MNH services and enhance the availability of essential medicines for mothers and children, directly benefiting an estimated 1 600 women receiving care across 20 community pharmacies.

An AI-enhanced digital platform and app for tracking pregnancy care

The ENCOMPAS project, led by the University of Health and Allied Sciences, will develop and implement a digital platform and smartphone application to enhance maternal healthcare. The system will track women’s experiences along the referral pathway; assess treatment outcomes during pregnancy; share childbirth experiences; log postpartum care received; and capture client satisfaction ratings. By using AI-enhanced digital technology and key health system intermediaries, ENCOMPAS aims to improve early pregnancy detection, optimise prenatal care timing and utilisation, and streamline referrals while simultaneously reducing referral costs. This project is expected to benefit 3 000 people in the Upper West and North East regions, including women, community health volunteers, and community healthcare workers.

Real-time stock monitoring for efficient medicine supply management

Ensuring nationwide oversight of medicine stocks improves emergency response, ensures equitable distribution, supports data-driven decision-making, and prevents medicine from being unavailable. Inyabon Medsync, by Zomugo Foundation LBG, is designed to offer real-time stock reporting via SMS, automate ordering processes, and make adjustments based on historical demand data. It will also monitor the availability of essential medicines and supplies, track stock-outs, and measure replenishment efficiency. To support this, 100 healthcare workers will be trained in SMS-based stock monitoring and inventory systems.

Repurposed tricycles for emergency transport

The Innovate for Health project by the Community Development Alliance has launched an initiative to redesign and repurpose existing motor tricycles into tricycle ambulances. It has also developed a mobile application that facilitates easy communication and tracking of clients during the patient referral journey from the community to the health facility. The pilot will focus on establishing and capacitating the Community Health Emergency Transport Committee to enhance community participation, local ownership, and the sustainability of the emergency transport service. This initiative is expected to directly benefit 1 800 individuals over the first year, including 300 mothers and caregivers.

Connecting patients to emergency services without data

USSD messages can connect patients and community health workers to emergency services without the need for a data connection. A Paediatric Society of Ghana-led innovation aims to deliver USSD messages in real time using live digital screens connected to tablets. In addition, 375 health facility staff will receive extensive training and regular monitoring visits will be carried out to ensure correct use. This will connect healthcare workers across various levels of facilities, facilitating decision-making, enabling timely interventions, and ensuring prompt escalation of referrals in emergencies.

Amp Health has supported the GHS by embedding a Management Partner, Chioma Ogbozor, within the Service to support the establishment of the Country Innovation Platform and develop the leadership and management capacity of its participants. As the pilot phase progresses, we will share updates and insights on the innovations being tested along with their impact.