Publication:

Knowledge assessment of healthcare providers and pregnant women on anemia management in selected regions of Ghana

Background Anemia in pregnancy is a global health concern, and Ghana, a developing country, is no exception. Overall, it is a significant cause of maternal mortality. This study assessed the effectiveness of hematinic supplements and evaluated healthcare providers’ and pregnant women’s knowledge of anemia in selected regions of Ghana.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 470 participants, comprising 329 pregnant women and 141 healthcare providers, across selected hospitals in Ghana’s Central and Greater Accra regions. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and complete blood count (CBC) results. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used for analysis.

Results The prevalence of anemia among pregnant women was 84%, with severity distributions of 43.7% mild, 27.3% moderate, and 13.7% severe cases. Healthcare providers (96.45%) demonstrated a high level of familiarity with hematinics. Among pregnant women, 82.67% showed a good understanding of anemia.

Conclusions Both healthcare providers and pregnant women demonstrated good knowledge of anemia and hematinic supplementation. These findings support the role of hematinics in the management of anemia during pregnancy, highlighting the need for continued education and early antenatal care.