Low Uptake of Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Ghana; An Examination of Health System Bottlenecks

Despite the devastating impact of malaria in pregnancy in Africa, the uptake of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria prophylaxis has remained considerably low. In Ghana, uptake of optimal doses stands (4+ doses) stands at 38.5% in spite of the fact that antenatal care is around 87.3%. In this paper, a review of existing bottlenecks is assessed to determine the underlying factors affecting optimal uptake in country. The World Health Organisation’s health system strengthening framework is adapted to examine these factors. Finally, a health information strategy is proposed to ameliorate the underlying the issues identified.