Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for urgent and pragmatic measures to reduce maternal mortality in Ghana, describing the death of women during childbirth as unacceptable.

He stated that women who go to health facilities to deliver should not lose their lives due to preventable complications or negligence.

Otumfuo made the call when the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu Danquah, paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on the second day of her official tour of the Ashanti Region.

The Asantehene commended Dr Danquah for her efforts under the Maternal Mortality Action and Response Programme (M-MARP) and welcomed the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to tackle maternal deaths.

“It is unacceptable that a woman will go to a health facility to deliver and will not return home alive,” Otumfuo said.

He urged doctors, nurses and other frontline health workers to demonstrate professionalism and commitment in providing maternal healthcare, cautioning against negligence that could result in avoidable deaths.

Otumfuo also called on pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics regularly and adhere to the advice of health professionals.

He said timely antenatal care and access to skilled healthcare could help identify complications early and ensure that appropriate interventions are provided before they become life-threatening. The Asantehene further urged Danquah to pursue the M-MARP initiative with urgency, describing it as a critical intervention in the effort to protect mothers and improve maternal health outcomes.

Dr Danquah’s visit forms part of her tour of the Ashanti Region to engage key stakeholders and health facilities on strategies to strengthen maternal healthcare services and accelerate efforts to reduce preventable maternal deaths.





MRA/VPO