By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Tema, July 21, GNA — In recent months, social media platforms have been flooded with messages of grief over the deaths of young women during childbirth
Photographs of smiling expectant mothers, accompanied by heartbreaking tributes from relatives and friends, have sparked public conversations about maternal health and the risks some women continue to face during pregnancy and delivery.
While each case has its own circumstances, health data from the Tema Metropolis suggests that the loss of mothers and babies during pregnancy, childbirth, and the immediate post-delivery period remains a significant public health challenge, requiring urgent attention.
The Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate said 12 women died from pregnancy-related complications in health facilities across the metropolis in 2025 and during the same period, 162 babies were stillborn, while 130 newborns died within their first seven days of life.
Together, these deaths contributed to a perinatal mortality rate of 44.57 per 1,000 deliveries.
Behind each statistic are families left grieving, a community searching for answers, and health professionals reflecting on how such deaths can be prevented.
The mothers who never returned home
Maternal mortality remains one of the most critical indicators of the strength of a health system.
Data from the Metropolitan Health Directorate shows that eight of the 12 maternal deaths recorded in 2025 occurred at Tema General Hospital, while Sinel Hospital and New Crystal Clinic recorded two deaths each.
The audit of maternal deaths found several reasons for these deaths, such as slow response to emergencies, lack of knowledge and skills, problems with transport and communication, issues with supplies and facilities, and limited staff strength.
The leading medical causes of death included hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, haemorrhage, pulmonary thromboembolism, acute chest syndrome, and other complications.
At Tema General Hospital, which serves as the major referral facility for the metropolis, a quality improvement review identified delays in referrals as well as in accessing interventions, cultural beliefs, and inadequate critical care infrastructure as some of the factors contributing to maternal deaths.
The babies lost before birth
While maternal deaths attract public attention, health officials say the number of babies dying before or shortly after birth presents an equally troubling picture.
Out of the 162 stillbirths recorded in the Tema Metro in 2025, there were 97 classified as macerated stillbirths, while 65 were fresh stillbirths.
Health experts explain that fresh stillbirths often occur during labour and may be associated with undetected foetal distress, delays in decision-making, or complications during delivery.
Macerated stillbirths, on the other hand, occur before labour begins and are often used as indicators of the effectiveness of antenatal care systems in identifying and managing high-risk pregnancies.
The Tema General Hospital alone accounted for 147 of the stillbirths recorded in the metropolis, including 89 macerated stillbirths.
The antenatal care paradox
Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the data is that many pregnant women are accessing antenatal care services.
The Metropolitan Health Directorate reported that antenatal care attendance remained high, with fourth-visit coverage reaching 132 per cent and eighth-visit coverage standing at 105 per cent in 2025.
On paper, the figures suggest that pregnant women are engaging with health services and receiving routine monitoring, yet questions remain.
If women are attending clinics regularly, why are babies still dying before birth? Why are some mothers developing complications that become fatal? Are high-risk pregnancies being identified early enough? Are referrals happening on time? Are health facilities adequately equipped to manage emergencies?
These are some of the questions health managers are now grappling with.
Health officials say the persistent number of macerated stillbirths suggests that there may be gaps between antenatal attendance and the quality of care received.
The challenge, they say, is not merely getting women through the clinic doors but ensuring that every contact leads to timely detection of danger signs and effective interventions.
A system under pressure
Tema’s health facilities continue to serve a growing urban population while managing referrals from neighbouring districts and municipalities.
At the Tema General Hospital, reviews conducted in 2025 identified challenges including inadequate skilled personnel, delays in clinical decision-making, limitations in critical care infrastructure, and referral-related delays.
The hospital has since established a high dependency unit within its Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department and intensified staff training programmes to improve maternal and newborn outcomes.
Looking beyond the numbers
Health authorities insist that every maternal death, stillbirth, and neonatal death must be reviewed to identify lessons and strengthen services.
The Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate has proposed 100 per cent audits of maternal and perinatal deaths, expanded emergency obstetric and lifesaving skills training, improved monitoring systems, and stronger stakeholder engagement.
For families who have lost mothers and babies, those interventions may come too late.
But for the thousands of women who will become pregnant in Tema Metro, this year and beyond, health officials say the lessons drawn from these deaths could make the difference between life and death.
As the metropolis works to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes, one question remains at the centre of the conversation:
How can every woman who enters a health facility for childbirth return home safely with a healthy baby in her arms?
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Email: [email protected]