Scaling PROMPTS in Ghana: insights from the pilot and future ambitions

25.04.2025

In 2022, Jacaranda Health partnered with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to explore how PROMPTS—a digital health platform designed to connect mothers to essential care—can help close critical gaps in maternal health services.

Understanding the landscape

We partnered with Dodowa Health Research Center on a structured operational study to explore how expectant and new mothers access maternal health information, how healthcare providers deliver care, how PROMPTS integrates into existing services, and what it takes to scale the solution nationwide. Our team led focus group discussions with antenatal (ANC) and postnatal (PNC) mothers at Tema General Hospital, Manhean Polyclinic, and Ashaiman Polyclinic, along with key informant interviews with healthcare managers, policymakers, and service providers to identify gaps and opportunities.

What we learned

Women are turning to digital sources for health information. TikTok, Facebook, and Google are common go-to platforms.
“I purchase a bundle every day and follow midwives on TikTok. When there is a live session, I join and learn from them.”
Mobile health messaging resonates with mothers. Most participants welcomed the idea of receiving pregnancy and postpartum-related information via SMS.
“I think receiving health information concerning your pregnancy on your mobile phone will be the best.”
Structured health education is in place—but not always enough. Many facilities offer group learning sessions, yet gaps remain in individualized support.
“Every Tuesday, mothers come in. We have topics scheduled for all trimesters.” “The knowledge gap comes when the client doesn’t understand what you are talking about, especially in high-illiteracy communities.”

From insights to action: implementing PROMPTS in the Ghanaian context

We piloted PROMPTS with 1,012 mothers across three study sites from March to December 2024, with goals to evaluate engagement, measure impact, and refine our approach for scale-up.

PROMPTS mom Musah Umu-Hani cradles her baby bump during a prenatal check-up at Manhean Polyclinic in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region.

What engagement looked like

65% of participants actively engaged with the platform, either by asking questions or responding to surveys.
39% of participants submitted at least one question, generating over 2,000 interactions with our helpdesk agents.

How PROMPTS influenced mothers’ health behaviors

94% of mothers who received appointment reminders attended their scheduled healthcare visits.
74% of mothers who were advised to seek care followed through.
86% of ANC and PNC mothers who asked questions on PROMPTS reported high satisfaction with the responses they received.

Scaling up: a look at where we are now

Today, PROMPTS is fully scaled in Tema Metropolitan District in the Greater Accra Region, with 45 health facilities actively enrolling mothers. High-volume facilities—including Tema General Hospital, Tema Health Centre, Manhean Polyclinic, and Narh-Bita Hospital—are implementing PROMPTS. Health workers enroll mothers during antenatal visits, while others sign up on their own through self-enrollment. This approach helps us reach more mothers consistently across facilities. As of March 4, 2025, we have successfully enrolled 6,338 mothers in PROMPTS.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has formally endorsed PROMPTS for regional scale-up across all of Greater Accra and committed financial resources to support the expansion. This marks a significant milestone in our partnership and a strong signal of national ownership.

To support this scale-up, we’ve expanded our team to include a program manager, field program coordinator, quality assurance (QA) consultant, two helpdesk assistants, and an administrative and finance officer, with continued technical, product development, and communication support from our Kenya team.

Nurse Mabel Adei Kotey attends to pregnant mother Eva Kekeli Bofo during a prenatal visit at Manhean Polyclinic in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region.

Making PROMPTS work for mothers

All PROMPTS messages align with Ghana Health Service guidelines to ensure accuracy and alignment with national guidelines. Mothers receive daily health messages and appointment reminders and post-visit surveys to assess care quality. Currently, PROMPTS operates in English and Twi, with translations vetted by the Ghana Bureau of Languages. Plans are underway to introduce additional local languages and voice messages for mothers with low literacy levels.

The road ahead: scaling PROMPTS nationwide

The success of the pilot paved the way for national expansion. In October 2024, GHS sat down with our team on-the-ground in Ghana and gave them the green light to scale PROMPTS regionally across the whole of the Greater Accra region.

The goal: Reach 100,000 mothers by December 2025 by expanding to all 29 districts in the Greater Accra Region. We have bold ambitions for this next year. With the continued support of GHS, we remain committed to ensuring that every mother in Ghana has access to timely, clinically accurate, critical health information – so moms can seek care at the right time and place.