Hypertensive disorders, haemorrhage identified as killers of pregnant women

Accra, Feb. 25, GNA - Pregnancy induced hypertension and haemorrhage are two killers identified as causes of maternal mortality in the Greater Accra Region.

Pregnant women who suffer from these die within 24 hours of admission to health facilities. These statistics ran though all presentations at the opening of a three-day annual review of performance for 2008 by the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service in Accra on Tuesday.

The meeting will focus on maternal and neo-natal mortality prevention. The presentations also noted that most pregnant women who were victims of the tragedy were women who religiously attended antenatal clinics.

For the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ridge and La General Hospitals, unsafe abortion was classified as the third cause of maternal mortality. Dr Irene Agyapong-Amarteyfio, Greater Accra Regional Health Director, noted that though there had been some relief in maternal mortality, it was not satisfactory enough and there was the need to find solutions to the problems of maternal and neonatal mortalities. For Ridge, maternal deaths increased from eight in 2003 to 29 in 2008 whilst caesarean sections also increased from 556 in 2003 to 2,454 in 2008 with most of the women falling within the ages of 20-34 years. In 2006, 465 unsafe abortion cases were recorded with two deaths and 670 unsafe abortion cases were recorded in 2007 with three deaths. Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital also recorded nine deaths related to unsafe abortion with seven of them being associated with infection. Participants identified unprofessional attitude of health professionals contributing to the rise in maternal deaths and called for a change to save more lives of pregnant women and meet Millennium Development Goals Four and Five in the region.

Dr Agyepong-Amarteyfio explained that the region had over the years failed to sustain earlier mortality declines with figures remaining stagnant.

She called on pregnant women to be regular at antenatal clinics and report anything unusual to their doctors for prompt attention.