Ghana initiates "all hands on deck" crusade on maternal health

Accra, June 13, GNA - Government's effort to achieve Goal Five of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - to improve maternal health ratio by 75 per cent by 2015 - received a major boost at the weekend with the launch of civil sector crusade.

The civil sector crusade dubbed 93Maternal Health; Our Right," seeks to mobilize public funding to address the inadequate access to maternal health care services, support maternal health data centres and persuade families against home deliveries.

Other aspects of the crusade include intensification of education for pregnant women on the importance of recognizing danger signs and seeking early care, create avenue for greater civil sector collaboration with the Ghana Medical Association to ensure prompt response and improve maternal health care.

The civil sector crusade, which seeks to inject dynamism into government's declaration of maternal mortality a national emergency, is being organized by Design House Project (DHP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Outlook Minik.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra Mr Dominic Oduro-Antwi, DHP Executive Director, said Ghanaians could not sit down unconcerned about deductions by the World Health Organization (WHO) and leading health authorities that Ghana would not meet MDG 5.

He said instead of a significant reduction, the latest statistics by Ghana Maternal Health Survey estimated a maternal mortality rate of 580 deaths per 100,000 live births, adding 93this calls for an all hands on deck approach".

Mr Oduro-Antwi said DHP, publishers of annual Health Directory and Out= look Minik a Business Development entity, seek to organize a musical charity concert with South African Superstar, Jonathan Butlar, to raise funds and educate the public on rights of pregnant women to good health care.

He said failure to prevent or reduce maternal mortality in Ghana constituted a human right violation and must be addressed holistically. He appealed to the media to join the maternal health crusade.

Mr Oduro-Antwi said judging from the fact that most maternal deaths were preventable all stakeholders must join hands with Government to overcome the challenges.

"This is a matter of life and death which concerns every family in Ghana; we must all join hands irrespective of party affiliation, tribal, religious and academic status."

Ms Gloria Appiah-Fordjour, Business Development and Event Executive of Outlook Minik, explained that the death of a woman during childbirth was a complex interplay of factors including community-related values and beliefs, state of development and inadequate emergency obstetric care in some hospitals.

She described a UNICEF report which indicated that about 80 per cent of maternal deaths could be avoided with access to essential maternity and basic health care services as pathetic.

Ms Appiah-Fordjour said: "Ghana can reduce maternal mortality drastically through massive public education to ensure that most families act fast on taking a pregnant woman to a health centre for care."

The Jonathan Butlar Musical Show dubbed: "JB Storms GH - Support of Maternal Health Care is slated for July 31 at the Accra International Conference Centre.