Kumasi, Sept. 13, GNA – Dr Gloria Quansah-Asare, Director of the Family Planning Division of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has invited all to join in the education to demystify the misconceptions about contraceptives.
She said there is the urgent need for the repositioning of family planning, advocacy and increased government funding to improve the general reproductive health of the people.
“We should see family planning as choices to be made in life and a development strategy,” she said.
Dr Quansah-Asare was speaking at a day’s orientation workshop held for selected journalists in Kumasi as part of efforts to help them report accurately on maternal morbidity and mortality issues.
The event was organized jointly by the GHS and the Population Council.
Dr Quansah-Asare said if birth intervals increased to 36 months, infant mortality rate could drop by about 27 per cent and that of under five years, by about 23 per cent.
She said it is therefore important to provide the relevant information to couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children adding that they should also have access to affordable contraceptive services as well as a full range of safe and effective methods.
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Deputy Director of the Reproductive Child Health, Family Health Division of the GHS, expressed concern about poor access to good quality maternal health services especially at the community level and emergency obstetric care.
He said the well-being of the society was directly linked to the health needs and survival of mothers and children.
Dr Joseph Oduro, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Health Service, urged the participants to take advantage of the workshop to deepen their understanding of reproductive health to help educate the people.
He said maternal health issues were not only for the health professionals but for all so it was important to comprehend all the issues involved.
Ms Selina Esantsi, Programme Officer of the Population Council, said they would continue to work hard to support the health sector to promote safe motherhood and prevent unsafe abortions.
