The Deputy Minister for Health, Prof. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah,on Wednesday July 15, begun a two-day working visit to the Eastern Region to coordinate efforts aimed at reducing maternal deaths through the Ministry of Health’s Maternal Mortality Action and Response Programme (MMARP).
The visit forms part of a nationwide assessment of maternal healthcare systems in regions recording high maternal mortality, with the Deputy Minister and her team expected to engage health professionals, inspect health facilities, assess referral systems and identify critical gaps affecting maternal healthcare delivery.
Addressing stakeholders at the opening session in Koforidua on Wednesday, Prof.Dr. Ayensu-Danquah expressed concern over Ghana’s persistently high maternal mortality rate, warning that unless urgent interventions are strengthened, the country could record more than 1,000 maternal deaths by the end of 2026.
She revealed that Ghana recorded 955 institutional maternal deaths in 2025, translating into 235 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births—more than three times the World Health Organization’s target of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.
The Deputy Minister noted that the figure excludes women who die outside health facilities or whose deaths are not properly classified as pregnancy-related, suggesting the actual number could be higher.
She said preliminary data from the Ghana Health Service indicates maternal deaths recorded between January and May 2026 already exceed those for the same period last year, making the need for immediate intervention even more urgent.
Prof. Ayensu-Danquah explained that the MMARP initiative forms part of the government’s Presidential Initiative on Maternal Mortality Reduction, being implemented in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to develop a coordinated national roadmap to tackle maternal deaths.
She further disclosed that the Eastern Region ranks fourth among 11 regions with the highest number of maternal deaths but clarified that many of the cases are referrals from other regions and should not be viewed as a reflection of the region’s health system alone.
“We are not here to apportion blame. We are here to understand why, despite the numerous investments, policies, training and interventions over the years, maternal mortality remains unacceptably high,” she stated.
Eastern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Damien Punguyire, welcomed the Ministry’s intervention, describing the field-based assessment as timely and necessary.
He disclosed that the Eastern Region has recorded 34 institutional maternal deaths so far in 2026, compared with 41 during the same period in 2025 and 38 in 2024.
Although the figures represent a marginal improvement, Dr. Punguyire stressed that every maternal death remains a tragedy.
“Thirty-four is still 34 mothers who left home pregnant and did not return. Progress is not the same as arrival. Every number represents a family that has lost a mother and a child who may grow up without maternal care,” he said.
He noted that the region would use the Deputy Minister’s two-day visit to showcase both progress made and persistent challenges, including emergency transport, referral systems, human resource shortages and socio-cultural barriers that continue to contribute to maternal deaths.
The two-day MMARP engagement is expected to produce targeted recommendations to strengthen maternal healthcare services and accelerate efforts to reduce preventable maternal deaths in the Eastern Region and across.
The team visited Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area Daasebre Kwaku Boateng, before visiting the Eastern Regional Hospital.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com
