In Ghana, the rate of maternal deaths is 263 per 100,000 births. Although this maternal mortality rate is much lower than the average for African countries (532 per 100,000 births), progress is being threatened by the financial difficulties mothers face accessing maternal healthcare services in the country. As researchers in maternal health and health economics, we conducted a study in two regions of Ghana looking at the extra expenses mothers with newborn babies and their households face when seeking maternal healthcare. This can strain household's budgets, affecting the ability to afford other basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. In some instances it may force mothers to forgo treatment due to an inability to pay. The Ashanti region is located in the southern half of Ghana and is the country's second most urbanised and prosperous region. The Ashanti region also has the highest active public national health insurance membership, of about 2.2 million members. We...
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