Promote wellbeing of mothers, children - Health Minister to WHO member states

The Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has called on member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prioritize the wellbeing of mothers and children, and protect them from preventable emergencies.

He made the appeal at the opening day of the Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health global meeting held in Accra

The three-day event, organized jointly by the Network and Ghana's Ministry of Health, had over 180 participants from countries such as Nigeria, India, Uganda, and Malawi, among others.

The meeting's objective is to engage champions from governments, implementing partners, and stakeholders to evaluate five years of quality of care integration and systematization in maternal, newborn, and child health programs.

Mr Agyeman-Manu stated that quality care framework revolves around its provision, experience, and cross-cutting issues. He emphasized that member countries must promote the welfare of mothers and children and ensure they are shielded from such avoidable emergencies by strengthening primary healthcare systems.

Agyeman-Manu reiterated that health-related targets for mothers, newborns, and children have been set for countries to achieve by 2030 in the context of progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He highlighted that quality of health services delivery has been a challenge in Ghana and all countries on the Network, despite considerable efforts and investments in promoting maternal and newborn health.

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kumah Aboagye, commended the implementation of quality healthcare for maternal, newborn, and child health in Ghana, which has provided a platform for scaling quality interventions in other aspects of healthcare.

The WHO Acting Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Dr Anshu Banerjee, emphasized the need to integrate quality of care into health service delivery at all levels of care, while the Country Representative for WHO Ghana, Dr Francis Chisaka Kasolo, said that strengthening health systems using a Primary Health Care approach is the sure way to achieving Universal Health Coverage.

The UNICEF-Ghana Deputy Representative-Operations, Mr Ebrima Sarr, praised the government's efforts in the areas of maternal and child healthcare and reiterated the organization's commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind. The USAID's Ghana Mission Director, Madam Kimberly Rosen, highlighted that a strong healthcare system is at the heart of a stable and prosperous country.

JNA/KPE