Rose Aduful, a Senior Nursing Officer at Reproductive Health Centre, Korle bu Teaching Hospital, has counseled over 3,000 clients and provided family planning services to over 1,000 of them. As a preceptor, she has contributed to the training of over 500 health professionals, including resident doctors, medical students, and nurses. Ms. Aduful served on the national family planning review team to review the national family planning record booklets, log books and family planning register at their final stage for use in Ghana.

“Rose’s passion for adolescent SRH as well as postpartum FP is beyond measure. She would go all lengths to provide services, and with a smile and in a professional and innovative manner too. She has a heart for contraceptive delivery and service.“

– Nominator

Describe your contributions to and achievements in family planning.

What sparked your passion for family planning?

The impact of family planning to improve maternal health, family well being, reducing maternal mortality and generally to achieve all the MDGs sparked my passion for family planning. Besides i am passionate about counseling my clients to empower them adequately to make an informed decision about their reproductive health and family planning goals, by delaying pregnancy, ensuring healthy timing and spacing as well as limiting child birth. The SRH services i render to my adolescents gives me joy.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your family planning efforts, and what have you done to overcome it?

Perpetual inconsistency in contraceptive supply from the sub-district was my biggest challenge .This led to excess demand over supply in contraceptives, meanwhile contraceptives were available at the other levels of the supply chain, making it difficult to meet our clients need. In overcoming this, I liaised with the public health unit of the hospital, who then worked with the national procurement team and the family health division to directly supply us with the contraceptives. All is now well.

What is your (country/region/city)’s biggest challenge in family planning, and how can it be addressed?

For me Ghana’s biggest challenge is unmet needs in family planning of 30% as reported by (Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 2014). To address this; 1. develop strategies and strengthen systems to encourage women to take up methods through one-on-one counseling from the antenatal to the post-natal clinics.
2.Intensify home visits to provide services to post-partum women who missed family planning in the hospitals/clinics.
3.Increase access to and reduce cost of family planning services.

What do you want to accomplish in the next 5 years?

I would collaborate with ; 1.NGOs, high level policy makers and other agencies to provide Long Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) and permanent methods to post natal mothers at the teaching hospitals in Ghana in a more affordable way.This would then be scaled –up to involve other maternity facilities in Ghana.
2.the required ministries to develop and implement Comprehensive Sex education policy.
3.Opinion leaders and agencies to provide contraceptives to selected deprived communities.