Annotated Source

As I continue to develop my research project, I am learning more and more about the health care system in Ghana. This article clearly defined the issues and improvements. Majority of the health problems are due to unsanitary water. Malnutrition, and diseases acquired through insect bites are also very common in that region. There are two organizations on the frontline of battling health related issues; The Women's Health Organization (WHO) and The Ministry of Health. Efforts by both have been made to have cleaner and more readily available sources of water. However, Ghana's health conditions are on the rise. This is most evident in the Infant Mortality Rate. It has been decreasing. 

As I contemplate the final details on my research project, I understand that is important to understand what type of facility I will be working in and what type of health care system, if any, is established in Ghana. I have learned that although there are modern facilities in Ghana, they are not all evenly distributed. Many regions are left without physicians or clinics nearby. Here is where a different type of health care is introduced. Majority of the population live in rural areas and therefore do not have easy access to health facilities. 

It is so hard to imagine a world where a hospital is not easy to come by. 

Health Services near Provo/ Orem

Health Services near Houston, Tx

These are the results by typing "Health Services" to Google Maps. In the Provo Orem area there are at least 45 different types of health services. The main flags with letters on them represent major hospitals in Utah. As you can see Salt Lake City has a number of hospitals that provide excellent care. From Houston Tx, I am surrounded even more health services. Houston houses one of the largest medical centers in the world. In Ghana organized medial facilities are far less common. 

You can see in the Kumasi to Accra region, most of the facilities are in the capital of Accra. The distance between these two places is substantial. With perfectly paved cement roads and speed limits of 60 mph that would be a 3 to 4 hour ride. However, this is not the case for a majority of Ghana, instead there are scooters, buses, and cars traveling on dirt roads that could take up to 8 hours. There are some instances where 8 hours is too long and they die on the way over. As I continue to prepare for Ghana I have to have the mindset that I truly am blessed and realize that I have taken that for granted for so many years of my life. The rural regions of Ghana are of most concern to my project. I am very interested to see what adaptations occur in the health care because of the lack of physicians and facilities.