Government and UNFPA collaborate to combat maternal mortality

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA- Ghana) is collaborating with the Government of Ghana to fight maternal mortality in the five regions with very high rates.

The programme would be implemented in 25 districts across five beneficiary regions comprising Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Brong Ahafo and the Ashanti Regions.

Nadowli, Sissala East and Wa West Districts are the three beneficiary districts in the Upper West Region.

Ms. Dennia Gayle, the acting UNFPA Country Representative announced this during the District Technical Presentation of Phase Two of the GoG/UNFPA Country Programme Six (CP6) Implementation Strategy in Wa.

Ms. Gayle pointed out that the health sector had been overburdened with a lot of health issues making it quite impossible for it to comprehensively address challenges confronting the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health by 2015, hence the need for external bodies to support.

She said with an annual budget of 3.9 million dollars, the UNFPA is committed to supporting this cause through the provision of the necessary resources for a period of 45 years beginning this year.

The acting UNFPA Country Representative said the beneficiary districts were required to identify problems affecting their performance in the fight against maternal mortality, which would then be shared among other partners based on their technical proficiency.

Ms. Gayle said District Assemblies and Traditional rulers were going to be deeply involved in the implementation process.

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, commended UNFPA for supporting the Government to fight maternal mortality.

He urged all stakeholders to help in the implementation process to enable the programme to achieve its purpose.

Dr. Alexis Nang-beifubah, the Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, said a total of 15 maternal mortality cases were recorded during the half year of both 2010/11, with 11 cases within the same period of 2012.

He described the GoG/UNFPA programme as comprehensive, saying it would help reduce maternal mortality drastically in the coming years, if effectively implemented.