Introducing: Dr. Bruce Ferrell Center for New Life

Challenges In the Upper West Region of Ghana

The Upper West Region faces several challenges that impede its development. One of the significant challenges is poverty, with over 80% of the population living below the poverty line. This is partly due to the region’s remoteness and its reliance on subsistence farming, which is vulnerable to climate change and droughts. According to the Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 7 (GLSS7), the region had one of the lowest access rates to safe drinking water sources (41%) and improved sanitation facilities (9%) in the country.

Inadequate infrastructure, especially the road network, is another significant challenge that the Upper West Region of Ghana faces. The region’s roads are mostly unpaved, which makes transportation difficult, particularly during the rainy season when the roads become muddy and impassable. This situation hinders economic activities, such as the transportation of goods and services, and affects the livelihoods of the people in the region.

Additionally, the Upper West Region also faces a health crisis, with limited access to healthcare facilities and trained medical personnel. This has led to high maternal and child mortality rates. According to the Ghana Health Service, as of 2021, the Upper West Region of Ghana had a maternal mortality ratio of 166 per 100,000 live births and an under-five mortality rate of 59 per 1,000 live births.

Health Resource Partners

Since 2018, Health Resource Partners (HRP) has been working tirelessly to improve health outcomes in rural communities in Ghana. We are a non-profit organization that aims to provide health resources and education to communities that have limited access to healthcare services. One of the main ways that we work to achieve our goals is by bringing community members together. We partner with local health facilities, essential health workers, and authoritative figures to increase awareness of important health issues, encourage community members to take action, and identify the specific health challenges that each community faces and develop targeted interventions that address their unique needs.

Continuing with our efforts to improve health infrastructure in rural communities, we are excited to announce the opening of a new maternity clinic in the Upper West Region of Ghana, named Dr. Bruce Ferrell Center for New Life. The clinic, which is located in the Lawra Municipality, will provide essential health services to the local community, with a particular focus on maternal and child health.

Our Founder and President, Britany Ferrell, named the clinic after her late father, Dr. Bruce Ferrell, who was a family medicine doctor based in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Ferrell was a respected and beloved member of his community, known for his commitment to providing compassionate and comprehensive care to his patients. His dedication to serving those in need and improving access to healthcare services is reflected in the mission of the Dr. Bruce Center for New Life.

The clinic stands as a symbol of the unwavering dedication of our supporters, donors, and volunteers to enhance the health and wellbeing of underserved populations. HRP worked closely with the local community and health authorities to design and build the clinic, ensuring that it meets the needs of the local population. A team of skilled healthcare providers, consisting of nurses, midwives, and community health workers, is entrusted with the responsibility of running the clinic. They are dedicated to delivering high quality care to patients and we look forward to continuing to work with the local community to ensure that the clinic provides essential health services to those who need them most.