• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home Science & Environment Medical Research

Mobile app aims to bridge Ghana’s rural health care gap

July 31, 2025
in Medical Research
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
0
Mobile app aims to bridge Ghana’s rural health care gap
4
SHARES
8
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


by Theodore A. Korku Mawutor, SciDev.Net

Mobile app aims to bridge Ghana’s rural health care gap
Rose-Mary Gyening interacting with rural health workers on how to use the app. Researchers developed the mobile app to connect Ghana’s rural communities to health care services. Credit: Theodore A. Korku Mawutor

For years, frontline nurses at community-based health planning services have been forced to improvise with limited resources, no labs, no ultrasound machines, and sometimes no electricity.

When complications arose, patients needed to travel to better-equipped hospitals, often several kilometers away.

“We see cases where pregnant women are transported on bicycles or motorbikes to reach care,” says Emmanuel Ahene, a medical consultant CHPS-community-based health planning service. “It’s not uncommon.”

The statistics paint a stark picture—across four northern districts only 6% of facilities could provide basic emergency pregnancy care, with just 3% offering comprehensive services.

Among women who died or nearly died during childbirth, 39% delivered at facilities unequipped for emergencies.

Now, researchers at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in southern Ghana have developed a mobile application that could transform this reality.

Bridging the digital divide

The app, called the National Health Access Platform, is designed to help rural communities connect to life-saving services quickly and reliably, improving referrals and reducing delays in care.

“We wanted to bridge the accessibility gap,” explains Rose-Mary Owusuaa Mensah Gyening, from KNUST, the project’s lead researcher.

“We focused on features that support basic care, enable real-time referrals, and provide culturally appropriate health information.”

The app allows community health workers and patients to book hospital appointments, consult higher-level facilities, access health information in local languages, and receive remote consultations.

Health care facilities can update service availability and manage referral queues in real time.

Users can locate the nearest clinic or hospital through a map-based interface, view available services, and initiate electronic referrals. Crucially, information is stored locally on devices and automatically syncs when internet connectivity returns.

“It works even where network coverage is poor,” Gyening adds.

At the facility level, administrators can update which services are operational each day, enabling health workers in remote areas to make more informed referrals.

Daniel Ansong, a pediatrician and public health specialist on the team, illustrates the problem with a common scenario.

“A … compound near Kpando [a town in eastern Ghana] sees a pregnant woman who needs an ultrasound. She’s sent to Kpando, arrives by 9:30 a.m., and is told the ultrasound isn’t working. She goes to Hohoe [a town an hour’s drive from Kpando] and is told services are closed until morning.”

With the app, he says, “the nurse can inform her that Kpando’s ultrasound operates on Wednesdays, Hohoe’s on Thursdays, and refer her appropriately.”

Community-centered development

The project operates under Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, with KNUST leading development.

Before building the app, the team conducted extensive consultations with health staff, hospital managers, and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) officials. Field testing was conducted across all 16 regions of Ghana.

“We didn’t just build an app and deploy it,” Gyening says.

“We spoke to people working in the system—district directors, midwives, and even ambulance staff.”

This approach resulted in a tool designed to address real, day-to-day challenges in underserved communities.

Scaling challenges and solutions

While the app is fully functional, nationwide scaling presents significant hurdles.

“Not all underserved communities have internet access,” Gyening says.

“We address this by making some functionalities available offline. But to take full advantage of the app’s benefits, internet access is eventually needed.”

The team believes sustainability depends on institutional support.

“KNUST can provide updates and technical support through our teams, but public-private partnerships and policy backing are essential for scale,” Gyening says.

Ansong adds, “If NHIS integrates with the app, patients won’t face double charges. And if the Ghana Health Service mandates participation, we can achieve national coverage.”

Joshua Ofoeda, a senior lecturer and head of IT at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, supports the initiative as “a forward-thinking approach to addressing health needs in underserved communities, especially rural Ghana.”

He suggests the team consider adding text-to-speech functions to support users with disabilities.

The researchers believe the app could benefit neighboring countries facing similar health care challenges.

“West Africa’s health care systems face the same constraints, distance, staff shortages, and weak infrastructure,” Ansong observes. “If it works here, it can work in Burkina Faso or Nigeria too.”

Research supports this potential. Studies show that across the region, women are more likely to deliver at home, with 44% citing transport challenges or long distances to health facilities.

In Nigeria, a 2023 study found rural women are more than twice as likely as urban women to deliver at home after suboptimal antenatal care visits.

Looking forward

“We are hoping for the day when these applications and technologies are fully accepted by people,” Gyening says.

“The keyword has always been to support caregivers, not replace them.”

The team is now preparing stakeholder workshops and engaging with national agencies to integrate the app into Ghana’s broader health infrastructure—a critical step toward transforming health care delivery in one of the world’s most underserved regions.

Provided by
SciDev.Net

Citation:
Mobile app aims to bridge Ghana’s rural health care gap (2025, July 31)
retrieved 31 July 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-mobile-app-aims-bridge-ghana.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.




by Theodore A. Korku Mawutor, SciDev.Net

Mobile app aims to bridge Ghana’s rural health care gap
Rose-Mary Gyening interacting with rural health workers on how to use the app. Researchers developed the mobile app to connect Ghana’s rural communities to health care services. Credit: Theodore A. Korku Mawutor

For years, frontline nurses at community-based health planning services have been forced to improvise with limited resources, no labs, no ultrasound machines, and sometimes no electricity.

When complications arose, patients needed to travel to better-equipped hospitals, often several kilometers away.

“We see cases where pregnant women are transported on bicycles or motorbikes to reach care,” says Emmanuel Ahene, a medical consultant CHPS-community-based health planning service. “It’s not uncommon.”

The statistics paint a stark picture—across four northern districts only 6% of facilities could provide basic emergency pregnancy care, with just 3% offering comprehensive services.

Among women who died or nearly died during childbirth, 39% delivered at facilities unequipped for emergencies.

Now, researchers at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in southern Ghana have developed a mobile application that could transform this reality.

Bridging the digital divide

The app, called the National Health Access Platform, is designed to help rural communities connect to life-saving services quickly and reliably, improving referrals and reducing delays in care.

“We wanted to bridge the accessibility gap,” explains Rose-Mary Owusuaa Mensah Gyening, from KNUST, the project’s lead researcher.

“We focused on features that support basic care, enable real-time referrals, and provide culturally appropriate health information.”

The app allows community health workers and patients to book hospital appointments, consult higher-level facilities, access health information in local languages, and receive remote consultations.

Health care facilities can update service availability and manage referral queues in real time.

Users can locate the nearest clinic or hospital through a map-based interface, view available services, and initiate electronic referrals. Crucially, information is stored locally on devices and automatically syncs when internet connectivity returns.

“It works even where network coverage is poor,” Gyening adds.

At the facility level, administrators can update which services are operational each day, enabling health workers in remote areas to make more informed referrals.

Daniel Ansong, a pediatrician and public health specialist on the team, illustrates the problem with a common scenario.

“A … compound near Kpando [a town in eastern Ghana] sees a pregnant woman who needs an ultrasound. She’s sent to Kpando, arrives by 9:30 a.m., and is told the ultrasound isn’t working. She goes to Hohoe [a town an hour’s drive from Kpando] and is told services are closed until morning.”

With the app, he says, “the nurse can inform her that Kpando’s ultrasound operates on Wednesdays, Hohoe’s on Thursdays, and refer her appropriately.”

Community-centered development

The project operates under Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, with KNUST leading development.

Before building the app, the team conducted extensive consultations with health staff, hospital managers, and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) officials. Field testing was conducted across all 16 regions of Ghana.

“We didn’t just build an app and deploy it,” Gyening says.

“We spoke to people working in the system—district directors, midwives, and even ambulance staff.”

This approach resulted in a tool designed to address real, day-to-day challenges in underserved communities.

Scaling challenges and solutions

While the app is fully functional, nationwide scaling presents significant hurdles.

“Not all underserved communities have internet access,” Gyening says.

“We address this by making some functionalities available offline. But to take full advantage of the app’s benefits, internet access is eventually needed.”

The team believes sustainability depends on institutional support.

“KNUST can provide updates and technical support through our teams, but public-private partnerships and policy backing are essential for scale,” Gyening says.

Ansong adds, “If NHIS integrates with the app, patients won’t face double charges. And if the Ghana Health Service mandates participation, we can achieve national coverage.”

Joshua Ofoeda, a senior lecturer and head of IT at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, supports the initiative as “a forward-thinking approach to addressing health needs in underserved communities, especially rural Ghana.”

He suggests the team consider adding text-to-speech functions to support users with disabilities.

The researchers believe the app could benefit neighboring countries facing similar health care challenges.

“West Africa’s health care systems face the same constraints, distance, staff shortages, and weak infrastructure,” Ansong observes. “If it works here, it can work in Burkina Faso or Nigeria too.”

Research supports this potential. Studies show that across the region, women are more likely to deliver at home, with 44% citing transport challenges or long distances to health facilities.

In Nigeria, a 2023 study found rural women are more than twice as likely as urban women to deliver at home after suboptimal antenatal care visits.

Looking forward

“We are hoping for the day when these applications and technologies are fully accepted by people,” Gyening says.

“The keyword has always been to support caregivers, not replace them.”

The team is now preparing stakeholder workshops and engaging with national agencies to integrate the app into Ghana’s broader health infrastructure—a critical step toward transforming health care delivery in one of the world’s most underserved regions.

Provided by
SciDev.Net

Citation:
Mobile app aims to bridge Ghana’s rural health care gap (2025, July 31)
retrieved 31 July 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-mobile-app-aims-bridge-ghana.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.



Tags: Health ResearchHealth Research NewsHealth ScienceMedicine ResearchMedicine Research NewsMedicine Science
Previous Post

Mass shooter’s grudge against NFL: ‘Football gave me CTE’ Are youth athletes at risk?

Next Post

Flawed Attribution Study Falsely Blames South Africa’s Floods On Climate Change

Related Posts

Lifestyle interventions reshape gene regulation in skeletal muscle of Asians

Lifestyle interventions reshape gene regulation in skeletal muscle of Asians

August 1, 2025
6

Deep Staff Cuts at a Little-Known Federal Agency Pose Trouble for Droves of Local Health Programs

August 1, 2025
6
Next Post
Durban, South Africa flood

Flawed Attribution Study Falsely Blames South Africa’s Floods On Climate Change

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0

Waystar (WAY) Q2 Revenue Jumps 15% todayheadline

August 1, 2025

Avient Corp earnings beat by $0.01, revenue topped estimates todayheadline

August 1, 2025
Four glowing black spheres against a black smoky background

Did ‘primordial’ black holes born right after the Big Bang help our universe’s 1st stars form?

August 1, 2025
Lifestyle interventions reshape gene regulation in skeletal muscle of Asians

Lifestyle interventions reshape gene regulation in skeletal muscle of Asians

August 1, 2025

Recent News

Waystar (WAY) Q2 Revenue Jumps 15% todayheadline

August 1, 2025
5

Avient Corp earnings beat by $0.01, revenue topped estimates todayheadline

August 1, 2025
6
Four glowing black spheres against a black smoky background

Did ‘primordial’ black holes born right after the Big Bang help our universe’s 1st stars form?

August 1, 2025
8
Lifestyle interventions reshape gene regulation in skeletal muscle of Asians

Lifestyle interventions reshape gene regulation in skeletal muscle of Asians

August 1, 2025
6

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Cybersecurity
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

Waystar (WAY) Q2 Revenue Jumps 15% todayheadline

August 1, 2025

Avient Corp earnings beat by $0.01, revenue topped estimates todayheadline

August 1, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co