Enhancing Access to Emergency Obstetric Care for Mothers in Ghana with AI
Access to emergency obstetric care is critical for women, particularly in urban areas facing delays due to various barriers. A new AI-driven dashboard launched in Ghana promises to improve access by providing real-time travel time estimates to care facilities. This tool aims to aid decision-makers in prioritizing high-risk areas and enhancing resource allocation, thus supporting ongoing efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
Accessing emergency obstetric care poses significant challenges for women globally, particularly in urban settings where traffic congestion, poor road conditions, and limited transport options complicate journeys to medical facilities. These obstacles contribute to alarming statistics, with a maternal death occurring every two minutes worldwide, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2023, a new dashboard was introduced to address these challenges. Developed in collaboration with the OnTIME Consortium, this tool utilizes AI-driven traffic predictions similar to those in Google Maps, enabling estimates of travel time to the nearest emergency obstetric care centers. The objective is to assist decision-makers in recognizing and addressing geographic access issues.
We are pleased to announce that this tool is now operational in Ghana, a country that has made remarkable strides in reducing maternal mortality rates. The implementation of this innovative approach is expected to enhance current efforts and fast-track progress toward improved maternal health outcomes.
The tool is already proving effective in Nigeria, where it has aided Emergency Resources Africa, a network of community responders, in reallocating resources to areas where women are likely to face longer travel times for care.
Dr. Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas, head of the OnTIME Consortium, emphasized that this tool provides policymakers and service planners in Ghana with a clearer understanding of pregnant women’s journeys to access emergency obstetric care in Greater Accra, allowing for strategic prioritization of high-risk areas and customized interventions.
This launch advances Google Research Africa’s commitment to tackling social challenges through technology. Current initiatives include projects in food security, language assistance, and weather forecasting.
We are eager to collaborate with our partners in Ghana to ensure the successful implementation of this tool and aspire to extend its benefits to other countries in the coming months. Together, we can harness technology to enhance maternal health access and save the lives of mothers and infants across Africa and beyond.
In conclusion, the introduction of an AI-driven dashboard in Ghana represents a significant step toward improving emergency obstetric care access for pregnant women. The innovative use of traffic prediction technology aims to assist decision-makers in identifying areas of need, thereby enhancing resource allocation and intervention strategies. With collaborative efforts, there is promising potential for reducing maternal mortality and ensuring safer pregnancies in Ghana and beyond.
Original Source: blog.google
