ARHR supports call to investigate Mrs Fuseini's death

Accra, April 25, GNA - The Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR), has described the death of Mrs Habiba Fuseini as unacceptable saying it fully supports the call by the President and the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the matter.

It said the Alliance equally believed that all pregnancy-related deaths wherever they happened and whoever was involved should be audited. The sad death of Mrs Habiba Fuseini, wife of Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, who is a Deputy Minister of Energy, occurred at the Police Hospital recently. A statement to the Ghana News Agency signed by Ms Vicky Okine, Executive Director of ARHR expressed condolence to the Deputy Minister and the entire family of Mrs Fuseini.

It said pregnancy and childbirth should be one of the happiest events of one's life adding, "However, for Mrs Fuseini and for the over 560 women per 100,000 live births lost in child delivery in Ghana, childbirth is a most tragic event".

The statement said whatever the cause of Mrs Fuseini's death; be it negligence on the part staff of the Police Hospital; or a systemic problem in health delivery; or a delayed personal decision by the deceased or even delayed action by her family, Mrs Fuseini's death was totally unacceptable. It said similar cases were common in the country adding "not only is the death of Mrs Fuseini and the death of the baby unacceptable, indeed the lives of every woman and child lost in childbirth are completely unacceptable.

"Unfortunately in Ghana, many of these deaths go unreported and unnoticed".

The statement said the investigation would ensure that the actual cause of death was established and appropriate measures instituted to avert the unfortunate loss of precious lives.

"Reducing maternal mortality requires a high sense of political will and commitment towards addressing the problem coupled with an efficient inter-sectoral collaboration considering the fact that the causes of maternal mortality are multi-faceted," the statement noted. It, therefore, called on government to fulfill its Abuja commitment for increased financial resources to accelerate progress towards reducing by three-quarters maternal deaths in Ghana in line with the goal five of the Millennium Development Goals.

"The Alliance is also calling on government to increase funding for reproductive health supplies to ensure that Ghanaians have adequate access to the services they need to have children safely" it said. The statement further called on Ghanaians especially women to hold government responsible for the life of every woman, who died through child birth, and every child that died when they were born. It extended the Alliance's condolences to the many families in Ghana who lost their loved ones due to pregnancy-related complications. 25 April 10