Ghana Marks Milestone with First Community-Based Doula Cohort

The graduates underwent months of intensive classroom instruction and supervised clinical rotations at local facilities, including the Ogbojo Polyclinic and VRA Hospital. While twelve participants earned full certification, three others received certificates of participation after joining the program mid-cycle. This initiative formalizes Uzuri Birth as a certified training partner for HealthConnect One, which has spent nearly 40 years refining its community-based doula model in the United States.

Dr. Twylla Dillion, CEO of HealthConnect One, framed the program as a reclamation of ancestral practices rather than a foreign import. The effort aims to strengthen the bond between families and medical institutions by embedding trained support workers within the community. Bobette Ngiedi Lelo, founder of Uzuri Birth, led the facilitation, working to ensure that the training bridges the gap between traditional midwifery and clinical care.

The ceremony in Accra drew diplomatic attention, including representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Barbados. Speakers emphasized that the program addresses a critical need for emotional and cultural support that formal hospital environments often overlook. With plans for future cohorts and a dedicated trainer pathway, the partnership intends to establish this community-led model as a standard of care across Ghana and the broader African diaspora.