Central Region accelerates action to improve maternal and newborn survival

The Central Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has launched a strategic move towards an Accelerated Action to Improve Maternal and Newborn Survival (AAIMNS) health outcomes.

The AAIMNS project seeks to advance in full range, of maternal and newborn health service indicators in reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health, and Nutrition (ReMNCAHN) services.

To make it more viable and relevant, it has been translated into the local languages for clients to easily understand and also communicate with health personnel.

Dr Marion Okoh-Owusu, the Regional Health Director, explained that the move, under the Fanti Language tagline for AAIMNS dubbed: “Ahokeka anamontu soronko a yedze regye abaatan nye mboframa nkwa,” would facilitate the process of attaining zero maternal deaths.

Addressing the Regional ReMNCAHN Services Review, Dr Okoh-Owusu said the intervention would increase skilled attendants at birth and reduce maternal mortality ratio, anemia in pregnancy at 36 weeks, and neonatal mortality rates.

The meeting held both in-person and virtually, was graced by an array of health personnel, traditional, and religious leaders, and a host of others who joined the various open discussions virtually.

To achieve its objective, she said AAIMNS would build the capacity of staff to deliver targeted health information and skilled services to pregnant women and newborns.

The mission sought to engage traditional birth attendants, community leaders, and prayer camps through media sensitization, and resource mobilization with empowered staff.

In the same way, there would be group antenatal care with a minimum of three home visits during pregnancy, improved pregnancy schools, and organized midwives’ meetings at the District and Regional levels.

Dr Okoh-Owusu called on all stakeholders to support the GHS with logistics and funds to enable them to reach out to all in the region to help achieve universal health coverage.

Giving an overview of AAIMNS, Mrs Rosemond Yeboah Sarpong, Regional Public Health Nurse, said family planning coverage had been increasing from 40.8 percent in 2022 to 44.6 percent in 2023, above its target of 40 percent.

She said enormous benefits of family planning serves include the prevention of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and a reduction in rates of infertility.

Mrs Sarpong encouraged pregnant women to seek antenatal care within the first trimester of pregnancy for comprehensive and effective care.

With the presence of a skilled birth attendant, she said the possibility of death owing to intra-partum-related complications or stillbirth could be reduced.