By Godfred A. Polkuu
Bolgatanga, March14, GNA – The Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) says the Region recorded 40 maternal deaths in 2024.
In 2021, it recorded 43 deaths, 27 in 2022, and 33 in 2023, Dr Samuel Kwabena Boakye-Boateng, the Regional Director of the GHS, disclosed at the opening ceremony of the 2024 annual performance review meeting of the Service in Bolgatanga.
The two-day event was on the theme: “Using Network of Practice (NoP) to Drive Universal Access to Quality Maternal Health Care.”
The meeting was chaired by Reverend Eastwood Anaba, the President of the Eastwood Anaba Ministries, and brought together directors of the GHS from National to the District level, Senior Managers, development partners, traditional rulers, the media and other stakeholders.
Dr Boakye-Boateng expressed concern about the trend of maternal deaths, and said it was a disturbing trend to have Institutional Maternal Mortality Ratio rise from 77 per 100,000 Live Births to 97 per 100,000 Live Births despite all their positive efforts.
“Closely linked to this indicator is the incidence of anaemia in pregnant women at 36 weeks gestation that saw stagnation from 44.4 percent to 43.4 percent against target of 35.5 percent,” Dr Boakye-Boateng said.
The Director noted that it was unacceptable to lose a life in the event of trying to bring a life to earth, saying, “we are sad and pained to have recorded an increase in the number of maternal deaths within the period under review.”
He noted that the Region’s quest for “Zero tolerance for maternal deaths” could only be achieved if all stakeholders collaborated effectively to strengthen community and health facility factors that continued to linger and hinder their efforts to eliminate preventable maternal deaths.
“It is for this reason that the region is fully leveraging on the opportunities and strengths that comes with deliberately connecting health facilities into networks of practice in order to halt and reverse this trend in maternal deaths and improve other key performance indicators in the months and years ahead,” he said.
The Director said the focus on maternal health was because the health and well-being of both mother and child needed to be prioritized, and noted that maternal health was essential for a healthy future population.
Mr. Donatus Atanga, the Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, acknowledged maternal health as foundation of the national health agenda and collective vision for a healthier and more equitable society.
As a network of health professionals dedicated to saving lives and improving maternal health outcomes, the Minister said their commitments must extend beyond individual efforts to collective actions.
“Universal access to quality maternal health would only be guaranteed if every pregnant woman, regardless of location or socioeconomic status, can receive timely and high-standard medical attention,” the Minister said.
Mr. Atanga said government made significant progress in primary healthcare towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage and would build on that tangent to reset the health sector and resolve is challenges.
GNA
FAA/BM