Eastern Region records reduction in maternal deaths

Ms Ellen Darkoa Asare, Deputy Director of Public Health Nurse of the Ghana Health Service has said the region recorded a 17 per 100,000 live birth reduction in maternal death last year.

She said maternal death cases reduced from 85 in 2022 to 70 in 2023 representing 120 per 100,000 and 103 per 100,000 live births respectively.

Ms Asare told the Ghana News Agency in an interview about the rate of maternal deaths in the region that two of the deaths logged were below the age of 18 years.

Most of the deaths, she disclosed, were due to haemorrhage, bleeding during pregnancy, labour or after delivery, and hypertensive diseases.

On the preventive ways of minimizing if not eradicating maternal deaths in the region, Ms Asare mentioned that breastfeeding was one way to prevent haemorrhage during labour and after delivery.

Again, she stated that expectant mothers should immediately report to and register with the antenatal clinic when they were confirmed to be pregnant to be cared for during the period of pregnancy.

She said more education should be done on the consumption of iron-rich foods such as fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables and fruits for better absorption of iron to prevent anaemia during pregnancy.

Again, Ms Asare mentioned that the capacity of midwives should be built through coaching and supervision to detect complications and make referrals on time.

She proposed that community ambulances should be made available to health centres, especially, in underserved communities for easy transportation of referred cases.

Ms Asare encouraged expectant mothers to adhere to the advice of their midwives and always take the iron and malaria drugs given to them to ensure safe and sound pregnancy and delivery.

She, thereby, indicated that the aforementioned measures when followed would help reduce maternal mortality in the region and the country as a whole.

Maternal death or mortality is a death that occurs during pregnancy, 42 days after abortion, childbirth and postnatal period.