By Samuel Akumatey
Ho, Oct. 26, GNA – Actors and stakeholders in the Volta Region have committed to the promotion of safe abortion and family planning as a means to addressing maternal morbidity and mortality in the country.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) maintains that unintended pregnancies accounts for the majority of maternal health challenges, and thus the need to make known and accessible, safe and approved methods of birth control.
A “Zero Tolerance for Maternal Deaths Campaign” is therefore being pursued by the GHS and its partners, to promote family planning and related services.
Dr. Kwesi Senanu Djokoto, Deputy Director of Health Services for the Volta region, said at a stakeholder engagement in Ho that maternal mortality remained a challenge, and that called for extra efforts at promoting the various interventions.
“At the core of this campaign is the recognition that many maternal deaths result from unintended pregnancies. Reducing these unintended pregnancies requires the provision of comprehensive family planning services and access to safe abortion care,” he said.
He reiterated the need to educate women on reproductive health as well as appropriate interventions, saying, “by empowering women and girls with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their reproductive health, we can significantly reduce the risks associated with childbirth and pregnancy complications.”
Dr. Djokoto reminded the various actors to help address cultural and societal barriers to the promotion of family planning methods including safe abortion, saying that collaboration should remain the hallmark of the campaign.
“Family planning is not just a health care intervention; it is a human right, and every woman must have access to these services, regardless of her social or economic background. The success of this campaign depends on the collective effort of a broad range of stakeholders, each playing a special role in our goal,” he said.
Dr Djokoto said there is a legal backing for safe abortion and therefore, the key objective of the campaign was to ensure the service was provided as prescribed by law.
“People seeking abortion are so determined, and so denying them healthcare increases the risk of unsafe abortion.”
The Deputy Director of Health Services said that while about 50 per cent of pregnancies in the country were unplanned, only 25 percent of women had access to safe abortion services.
He added that a paltry 11 per cent of women were aware that abortion services were legal.
Social barriers to comprehensive abortion and family planning included the lack of information, legal and policy restrictions, as well as the high cost of services, and Dr. Djokoto reassured of efforts to get them covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme.
He commended the show of support, and expressed the hope that the calibre of stakeholders interested in the collaborations, would positively impact healthcare delivery in the country.
He assured that the various concerns, which included the quality of birth control products, and also the need to support other health facilities such as infirmaries to provide quality services were being noted for redress.
Dr. Dunyo Yaotse Agbieze, Medical Superintendent of the Ho Municipal Hospital, reported trends in abortion and family planning patronage in the regional capital, which he said showed more positive outlooks.
He said although the challenge of more teenagers having unprotected sex remained, the acceptance rate of family planning was also on the increase.
Dr. Agbieze, however, said a lack of reproductive health knowledge among sexually active teens caused late term pregnancies that were unintended.
He noted how the availability of unmarked comprehensive abortion care services in almost all health facilities continued to boost client confidence, and said it was therefore crucial for the campaign to promote education on the use of various contraceptive methods.
“We will continue to support the process, advocate and support women in preventing unwanted pregnancies. We will continue to work with the Health Service to educate our women,” Mrs. Thywill Eyra Kpe, the Regional Director of the Department Gender, said while calling for counselling services for women and girls.
Mrs Stella Mawutor, Regional Director of Social Welfare, also pledged to collaborate with the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service, also a key actor, to promote education among womenfolk.
Heads of the National Commission on Civic Education, and the National Youth Authority also reaffirmed commitment, and so were religious and traditional leaders, and the media.
Stakeholders at the meeting included heads of the health, education, legal and civic education establishments.
There were also traditional and religious leaders, representatives from family planning service provider Marie Stopes, and various related State agencies and departments, all who took turns to pledge support for the maternal health campaign.
GNA