By Edward Acquah, GNA
Accra, Sept. 16, GNA – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has called for accelerated action to reduce maternal deaths, with Africa accounting for about 70 per cent of global cases.
Dr Sennen Hounton, UNFPA Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said although maternal mortality was declining across the region, the pace of reduction was insufficient to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.
He said maternal deaths in West and Central Africa accounted for about 44 per cent of global maternal deaths, with the regional average declining from about 900 deaths per 100,000 live births two decades ago to nearly 600 currently.
Dr Hounton made the call during an engagement with the media in Accra as part of his participation in Ghana’s Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response.
The initiative, launched by Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang in Accra on Monday, seeks to give maternal health emergency response greater national attention and strengthen coordination across sectors to reduce preventable maternal deaths.
Dr Hounton said Ghana had made significant progress in expanding access to maternal healthcare, including institutional deliveries and antenatal care, but its maternal mortality ratio had largely plateaued.
He said the ratio declined marginally from 310 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 301 in 2021, indicating the need to address systemic challenges within and beyond the health sector.
“Ghana has done so well in expanding coverage,” he said, noting that the major challenge was what happened after women arrived at health facilities, including the availability of skilled personnel, medicines, equipment, electricity and emergency services.
Reducing maternal deaths, he said, required a multisectoral approach involving ministries responsible for roads, energy, finance and human resources, among others, because many factors affecting emergency maternal care fell outside the direct control of the Health Ministry.
He proposed improved distribution and incentives for health workers, increased domestic financing for reproductive health commodities and stronger social mobilisation to make maternal deaths visible and subject to community accountability.
He also called for innovative financing involving the private sector, commercial banks and development finance institutions to bridge funding gaps.
Dr Hounton urged governments to strengthen health insurance coverage for pregnant women and newborns to prevent families from facing catastrophic costs during emergencies.
He said the region also needed to reduce its dependence on external financing for life-saving commodities and work towards manufacturing such commodities in Africa, suggesting that Ghana could potentially serve as a manufacturing hub.
He urged journalists to use their platforms to track the performance of interventions, investigate bottlenecks in the supply of life-saving medicines and equipment, and demand accountability for maternal health outcomes.
“We must all be her voice,” he said, referring to women who die during childbirth and are unable to speak for themselves.
Dr Hounton said UNFPA would support Ghana with data, life-saving commodities, financing partnerships and policy knowledge to strengthen the initiative.
The ultimate objective should be to accelerate progress towards the global target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030, he added.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Edward Acquah
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