The Ashanti Region has recorded a steady rise in institutional maternal mortality over the past five years, raising concerns about gaps in coordination, referral systems, and quality of care, despite some improvements in health service indicators.

Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, disclosed this at a Health Sector Performance Review Meeting in Kumasi, where he presented a detailed assessment of outcomes across key health indicators.

According to him, the institutional maternal mortality ratio increased from 132 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021 to 179 per 100,000 live births in 2025.

The figure rose from 134 in 2022 to 167 in 2023, slightly declining to 166 in 2024 before climbing again in 2025.

He described the trend as worrying, particularly when viewed alongside ongoing interventions aimed at improving maternal health outcomes.

Dr. Adomako-Boateng noted that a significant proportion of maternal deaths were linked to cases referred from multiple sources, underscoring systemic challenges beyond a single facility.

In 2025, only 5.2 percent of maternal deaths involved women who had attended antenatal care and delivered at the same facility, indicating that, most fatalities were associated with referrals or complications managed across different levels of care.

A breakdown of contributing sources showed that facilities under the Ghana Health Service within the Ashanti Region accounted for 51 percent of maternal deaths, while quasi-government (CHAG) facilities contributed 32 percent.

Private health facilities also played a notable role, contributing to the overall mortality burden.

When disaggregated further, Ghana Health Service facilities within the region contributed 36 percent of deaths, while those outside the region accounted for 11 percent.

CHAG facilities in the region contributed 23 percent, with additional cases originating from facilities outside the region.

Dr. Adomako-Boateng stressed that the data pointed to the need for stronger collaboration and integration across all levels of the healthcare system.

“These figures clearly show that maternal mortality is not confined to a single institution.

It is a system-wide challenge that requires coordinated action across public, private, and faith-based facilities,” he said.

He also highlighted a decline in skilled delivery coverage, which dropped from 61 percent in 2021 and 2022 to 55 percent in 2025, falling short of the national target of 65 percent.

The dip, he explained, could be contributing to adverse maternal outcomes.

On neonatal mortality, however, the region showed some improvement, with institutional neonatal mortality declining from eight per 1,000 live births in 2022 to four per 1,000 live births in both 2024 and 2025.

Touching on non-communicable diseases, Dr. Adomako-Boateng said outpatient department (OPD) diabetes cases remained within the expected range of one to five percent, increasing from 0.9 percent in 2021 and 2022 to 1.51 percent in 2025.

Hypertension cases at OPD also showed a gradual rise from 2.2 percent in 2021 to 4.1 percent in 2025, though still below the expected range of five to 10 percent.

He explained that these indicators served as proxies for measuring the burden of non-communicable diseases and the effectiveness of detection systems.

Dr. Adomako-Boateng identified supply chain constraints, referral inefficiencies and delayed care as underlying factors affecting maternal outcomes, stressing the need for targeted interventions.

He said the region would, as part of the review process, outline specific strategies to address maternal mortality in 2026 and beyond.

He urged stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and align efforts to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

“We need collaboration and integration.

No single facility or sector can address this challenge alone,” he emphasised.