ABSTRACT
This chapter examines maternal and child health issues at interface of environmental health. Underpinned by premise that one's health and geographies are inextricably linked, this work draws from a case study in Ghana's rural north to examine how precarious environments underscored by food insecurity, fluctuating climates, historically rooted inequality and poverty contribute towards dubious maternal and child health outcomes. The chapter seeks to address the political ecology of Matters of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and its implications in the context of the SDGs through a case study on Ghana's Upper West Region. The data for this chapter come from two separate research projects, conducted in 2011 and 2013, focused on gendered access and utilisation of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana’s UWR. Despite the primary focus of both studies being access to healthcare, many participants spoke of the importance of the broader physical, sociocultural and political environment on MNCH.
