GHS launches campaign on safe motherhood

Accra, Nov. 23, GNA - The Ghana Health Service (GHS) would on Wednesday launch a national campaign on the theme: "Ghana Cares; No Woman Should Die While Giving Birth" to ensure an accelerated reduction of maternal mortality.

The campaign, which also has a sub theme, "No Woman Should Die from Bleeding during Pregnancy and Child Birth," would focus on haemorrhage or bleeding which forms about one-fourth of all maternal deaths. Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Reproductive Health Co-ordinator, Family Health Division, GHS, told a media briefing in Accra on Monday that the campaign was aimed at accelerating the availability and use of universally accessible quality health services. These include those related to reproductive and sexual health which is critical for the reduction of maternal mortality. He said the official launch of the campaign to be held at the Jackson Park in Koforidua on November 25 would also raise and maintain awareness as well as appropriate response to maternal mortality at regional and national levels.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said the campaign was expected to identify and work with national stakeholders including the media to mobilise action at the national level and build linkages with global campaigns. Dr Kuma-Aboagye said the current maternal mortality rate which stands at 451 per 100,000 live births was unacceptable, as the causes were highly preventable, adding that the nation had recorded 9,729 maternal deaths in various health institutions in the last decade. "We have already recorded more than 400 maternal deaths between January and June 2009 and these were women in their prime and died giving life," he said.

Dr Elias Sory, the Director General of GHS, said Ghana might not attain the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) six on reducing the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarter between 1990 and 2015 if the current trend was not reversed.

He said interventions including accelerated family planning services to address the unmet needs of women, especially adolescents, increase in the proportion of birth attended by skilled health personnel and increased coverage in antenatal care had been put in place to ensure total downward trend in maternal mortality in Ghana.

Dr Sory called on all stakeholders including communities to collaborate and network to ensure better health care for pregnant women, saying the issue of maternal mortality and child death was no more a health concern, but a global emergency that needed everyone's support and attention.