Enablers and barriers of community initiated health emergency transport systems in the Upper West Region of Ghana

In the Global South, community emergency transport systems (CETS) are typically in response to inadequate National Ambulance Services and a poor transport network, particularly in rural areas. In Ghana, CETS have emerged some communities under the auspices of the Community-based Health Planning Services program. We explored the enablers and barriers to the success of CETS in the Upper West Region. The results show that among others, effective leadership, acceptance of risk-pooling and community cohesion enabled success. Key barriers included community level conflicts and lack of resources. In poor resource context, CETS could be up-scaled to supplement an existing ambulance system.

Automated summary

In the Global South, community emergency transport systems (CETS) are often established due to inadequate National Ambulance Services and poor transport networks, especially in rural areas. In Ghana, CETS have been implemented in some communities under the Community-based Health Planning Services program. The success of CETS in the Upper West Region is attributed to factors such as effective leadership, risk-pooling, and community cohesion, while barriers include community conflicts and lack of resources. In resource-constrained settings, CETS can be expanded to complement existing ambulance systems.