Digital Maternal Health Communication in Ghana Through a Sankofa Lens: The Case of Midwife Sally

Communication drives maternal health outcomes, lessening complications during and after pregnancy and decreasing mortality rates. In Ghana, a troubling gap exists in maternal health communication between birthing people, who tend to rely on local language use, cultural relatability, and community engagement, and healthcare providers, who neither embrace nor nurture traditional communication styles. Social media platforms in Ghana increasingly bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary communication, as users informally share stories and health challenges while also receiving evidence-based medical advice. Drawing on the Sankofa framework emphasizing authentic and culturally sensitive modes of research, the current study explores 48 posts between January 2025 and June 2025 from the ‘Midwife Sally’ Facebook page. Posts were analyzed deductively to understand the extent to which communication styles on the platform connect to African indigenous knowledge as articulated by the framework. Findings indicate that Midwife Sally effectively blends elements of ubuntu (interconnectedness and humanity), harambee (collective effort), ubora (excellence), and umoja (unity) to engage her audience. The study recommends that providers in Ghana consider adopting indigenous communication styles to improve maternal health communication in hospital settings.