What is it about?
Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) affects about 6% to 10% of all pregnancies in Ghana. We explored whether the rate of PIH is the same across the geographical regions and districts in Ghana or whether there were differences. We also explored whether the hospitals and clinics providing care for the pregnant women have the basic infrastructure and laboratory capacity to carry out important investigations like testing for urine protein and measurement of blood pressure which are important for diagnosing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. We also found out how the data generated at the antenatal clinic and maternity wards are recorded and stored to enable tracking of the incidence of PIH.
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Why is it important?
Our findings show that the rate of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) is not uniform across the country. The urban areas have a higher incidence of pregnancy induced hypertension compared to the rural areas. Obesity was also associated with higher rates of PIH. Obesity is increasing in the urban areas and must be addressed to control the incidence of PIH.
Perspectives
The findings of this study points to the need to address lifestyle changes associated with urbanization such as dietary habits and obesity which are associated with hypertensive disorders. The low middle income have an opportunity to address the problem now before it gets out of hand.
Dr Edward Antwi
University of Utrecht
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Measuring regional and district variations in the incidence of pregnancy‐induced hypertension in Ghana: challenges, opportunities and implications for maternal and newborn health policy and programmes, Tropical Medicine & International Health, November 2015, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12626.
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