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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Public versus Private Resources for Childbirth and Care in Ghana
Author:Badasu, DelaliISNI
Year:2001
Periodical:Research Review (ISSN 0855-4412)
Volume:17
Issue:2
Pages:45-62
Language:English
Notes:biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:Ghana
West Africa
Subjects:abortion
family planning
child care
Health, Nutrition, and Medicine
Women and Their Children
Family Planning and Contraception
Fertility and Infertility
Medicine, Nutrition, Public Health
Birth control
Contraceptives
Family planning programmes
Child welfare
Abstract:A national family planning programme launched in Ghana in 1970 and relaunched in 1991 and 2002 has aimed at achieving a high prevalence of modern contraceptive use in Ghanaian society. Unfortunately, the desired impact has not been achieved. In fact, modern contraception has not even contributed significantly to the fertility transition that began in Ghana over a decade ago. This essay suggests that abortion and other alternative resources available for managing child birth and care probably undermine efforts at promoting modern contraception in Ghanaian society. These alternative resources, collectively referred to as 'private resources for fertility management', range from abortion to post-natal control measures, such as child fostering, early marriage of girls, early entry into the labour market and migration. The essay concludes that attempts to improve contraceptive prevalence in Ghanaian society must not focus on improving the family planning/reproductive health delivery alone. A political economy approach to implementing family planning programmes which emphasizes child welfare policies and programmes must also be considered, and the practice of abortion needs to be tackled, since it has been a major health issue and need not be a preferred method of averting births when other means are available. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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