African Cardiovascular Surgery | 25 December 2005
Mobile Health Clinics and Rural Women in Ghana: A 20-Year Analysis of Access to Healthcare Services
S, e, k, y, i, A, f, r, i, k, i, ,, A, b, b, a, n, K, w, a, m, e, n, a
Abstract
Mobile health clinics have been introduced to improve healthcare access in rural areas of Ghana, particularly for women who face geographical and socioeconomic barriers. A longitudinal study design was employed, utilising mixed-methods including surveys, focus groups, and administrative data to assess changes in access and utilization patterns. Mobile health clinics significantly increased access to healthcare services for rural women by 45% (95% CI: 30-60%) compared to pre-intervention levels. Themes emerged around improved convenience and reduced travel distances. The mobile health clinic programme has enhanced healthcare accessibility in the Volta Region, particularly benefiting rural women who previously had limited access. Continuation of mobile clinics with targeted outreach strategies is recommended to further improve service availability and quality. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.