The importance of men's involvement in facilitating women’s
access to skilled maternal healthcare in patriarchal societies such as Ghana is
increasingly being recognised. However, few studies have been conducted to
examine men’s involvement in issues of maternal healthcare, the barriers to
men’s involvement, and how best to actively involve men. The purpose of this
paper is to explore the barriers to and opportunities for men’s involvement in
maternal healthcare in the Upper West Region of Ghana.
Qualitative focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and
key informant interviews were conducted with adult men and women aged 20–50 in
a total of seven communities in two geographic districts and across urban and
rural areas in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Attride-Stirling’s thematic
network analysis framework was used to analyse and present the qualitative
data.
Findings suggest that although many men recognise the
importance of skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth, and the benefits of
their involvement, most did not actively involve themselves in issues of
maternal healthcare unless complications set in during pregnancy or labour.
Less than a quarter of male participants had ever accompanied their wives for
antenatal care or postnatal care in a health facility. Four main barriers to
men’s involvement were identified: perceptions that pregnancy care is a female
role while men are family providers; negative cultural beliefs such as the
belief that men who accompany their wives to receive ANC services are being
dominated by their wives; health services factors such as unfavourable opening
hours of services, poor attitudes of healthcare providers such as maltreatment
of women and their spouses and lack of space to accommodate male partners in
health facilities; and the high cost associated with accompanying women to seek
maternity care. Suggestions for addressing these barriers include community
mobilisation programmes to promote greater male involvement, health education,
effective leadership, and respectful and patient-centred care training for
healthcare providers.
The findings in this paper highlight the need to address the
barriers to men’s involvement, engage men and women on issues of maternal
health, and improve the healthcare systems – both in terms of facilities and
attitudes of health staff - so that couples who wish to be together when
accessing care can truly do so.
Full article at:
1Department of Population, Family and
Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
2Institute of African and Gender Studies,
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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