Maternal deaths is a national emergency - Gender minister

Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has raised alarm over Ghana’s worsening maternal health situation, describing it as a national emergency following the deaths of nearly 900 women from pregnancy and childbirth related complications in 2025.

Speaking at a High-Level Dialogue on Maternal Mortality Reduction in Accra on December 23, 2025, the minister said the figure, recorded between January and November, reflects deep rooted systemic failures that continue to cost women their lives despite years of investment in maternal healthcare.

According to Dr Lartey, Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio has seen only modest improvement over the past decade, declining from 316 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 301 in 2020.

She warned that the country is currently off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

She cited data from the Ghana Health Service showing that progress has stalled, with maternal deaths rising slightly from 100 per 100,000 live births in 2023 to 102 in 2024, raising concerns about the effectiveness of recent interventions.

The gender minister noted that many maternal deaths are preventable but persist due to weak health systems, delayed antenatal care, poor emergency transport and referral networks, as well as socio-cultural barriers that delay care-seeking, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

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Describing maternal mortality as more than a health challenge, Dr Lartey said it is a gender equality, human rights and national development crisis, adding that even the Ministry of Gender has recorded a maternal death among the nearly 900 cases this year.

“The consequences are far-reaching, resulting in child malnutrition, school dropouts and deepening household poverty, while communities lose caregivers, entrepreneurs and local leaders,” she said.

Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, confirmed the nearly 900 maternal deaths recorded nationwide as of November 2025, warning that the figure could exceed 1,000 by the end of the year if urgent action is not taken.

She stressed that incremental progress will no longer be sufficient, calling for coordinated, cross-sectoral action to address the crisis.

On behalf of the Health Minister, Dr Hafez Adam Taher, Director of Technical Coordination and Health Planning at the Ministry of Health, acknowledged that Ghana is currently off track on its maternal mortality targets under the Universal Health Coverage roadmap.

He attributed the situation to gaps in emergency transport services, blood availability and transfusion systems, weak supply chains for essential maternal health commodities, and inconsistent implementation of maternal and newborn death surveillance mechanisms.

Presenting national trends, Principal Planning Analyst at the National Development Planning Commission, Nii Odoi Odotei, said Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio remains unacceptably high at 301 deaths per 100,000 live births, well above the global average of 197.

He highlighted significant regional disparities, with the Upper East Region recording the highest ratio at 465 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by the Volta Region at 383.

Greater Accra recorded the lowest ratio at 191, with rural women, those with low education levels and those in the lowest wealth quintile most at risk.

To reverse the trend, the government says it will intensify interventions, including the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the expansion of social protection programmes under the Mahama Cares Initiative, aimed at reducing financial and logistical barriers to emergency maternal care.

AM

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