PROVIDER KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION IN GHANA

Abstract

In 1996, the Ministry of Health in Ghana included emergency contraception (EC) in its newly issued National Reproductive Health Service Policy and Standards. A short survey was conducted in the summer of 1997 to evaluate health providers' knowledge of EC. Of the 325 providers interviewed, about one-third (34%) had heard of EC. No provider had sufficient knowledge to prescribe EC correctly. A well-coordinated training programme for providers will have to precede successful introduction of EC in Ghana. Moreover, a dedicated product may be critical for the successful introduction of EC in a country like Ghana, where provider knowledge is low.