“It’s all about trust” A Midwife’s Role as a COVID-19 💉 Champion

USAID Bureau for Global Health sent this bulletin at 08/02/2023 08:30 AM EDT

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The essential role of building trust to protect pregnant women against COVID-19

Photo credit: Bobby Neptune for USAID

Adama Musah is the lead midwife at Tamale Reproductive and Child Health Center in northern Ghana. She provides primary health care services to women throughout every phase of their pregnancy journey. When COVID-19 vaccines reached Ghana in March 2021, per global and country guidance, pregnant women were initially not eligible to receive the vaccine. In January 2022, following World Health Organization guidance, the Ghanaian Ministry of Health announced a new policy encouraging vaccination of pregnant women.

Through the U.S. government’s Initiative for Global Vaccine Access (Global VAX), USAID partnered with the Government of Ghana to rapidly vaccinate the people of Ghana against COVID-19 using a variety of strategies, including harnessing the influence of trusted community members like Adama to reach high-risk populations such as pregnant women.

During her personalized check-ups, Adama encourages women to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. If a woman refuses, Adama takes down her information and follows up by phone. “It’s all about trust. I get them to first have confidence in me, and then I can convince them to get vaccinated (against COVID-19),” says Adama.

Explore our other resources on maternal health:

Read: A Midwife is Like a Mother—The essential role of building trust to protect pregnant women against COVID-19
Explore: Global Vaccine Access
Learn more: Visit our webpage on Maternal and Newborn Health

Through our partnerships and programs, USAID helps ensure that all mothers, newborns, and children have a chance of a healthy life, regardless of where they are born. USAID’s Office Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition within the Bureau for Global Health plays a leading role in supporting the Agency’s commitment of preventing maternal and child deaths: investing in affordable, high-quality interventions that save lives and allow women, children, and families to thrive.

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