Upper West Region records more maternal deaths this year

Somboro (U/W), Dec. 18, GNA - All has not been well with mothers in the Upper West Region this year as 44 maternal deaths have been recorded with 40 of the deaths occurring at health facilities and four in communities. Dr. Kofi Issah, Deputy Upper West Regional Director of Public Health, said this during the inauguration of a Community Health Planning Service (CHPS) Compound at Somboro in the Jirapa District on Thursday. He expressed dissatisfaction about the situation and said the high maternal deaths registered in the region could mean that in the past maternal deaths cases were not properly recorded. It could also mean that many people were now bringing their pregnant women to health facilities for delivery or there was a major management problem in the health facilities and at the communities' level and this needed to be identified. Dr. Issah said infant mortality, which stood at 208 per every 1,000 live births in 2003, had been reduced to 142 per 1,000 live births in 2008. He said that was a remarkable achievement but was quick to add that there could be an increase in deaths again if a greater percentage of women still deliver outside health centres. Dr. Issah said men could help reverse the current situation if they were educated on the need to be involved in reproductive health issues so that they could encourage their wives or even accompany them to the hospital.

Somboro (U/W), Dec. 18, GNA - All has not been well with mothers in the Upper West Region this year as 44 maternal deaths have been recorded with 40 of the deaths occurring at health facilities and four in communities. Dr. Kofi Issah, Deputy Upper West Regional Director of Public Health, said this during the inauguration of a Community Health Planning Service (CHPS) Compound at Somboro in the Jirapa District on Thursday. He expressed dissatisfaction about the situation and said the high maternal deaths registered in the region could mean that in the past maternal deaths cases were not properly recorded. It could also mean that many people were now bringing their pregnant women to health facilities for delivery or there was a major management problem in the health facilities and at the communities' level and this needed to be identified. Dr. Issah said infant mortality, which stood at 208 per every 1,000 live births in 2003, had been reduced to 142 per 1,000 live births in 2008. He said that was a remarkable achievement but was quick to add that there could be an increase in deaths again if a greater percentage of women still deliver outside health centres. Dr. Issah said men could help reverse the current situation if they were educated on the need to be involved in reproductive health issues so that they could encourage their wives or even accompany them to the hospital. Dr. Issah said the Ghana Health Service would soon come out with a motivational package for men who would accompany their wives to the hospital. He said the region had been zoned in 197 communities for the implementation of CHPS compound and that 81 of them had since been operational and urged the people to practice preventive healthcare methods. Mr. Mahmud Khalid, Upper West Regional Minister who inaugurated the project, urged the people to discard traditional and cultural practices that undermined their health and development. He commended United Nations Children Fund for providing funds for the project and called on the people to co-operate with health workers posted to the facility. Mad Phoebe Balagumyetime, the Jirapa District Director of the Ghana Health Service, said 10 maternal deaths were recorded in the district this year. She spoke about the deplorable nature of the road linking Somboro to Mwankuri and appealed to the Department of Feeder Roads to rehabilitate it. Mad Balagumyetime appealed to the Ghana Education Service to provide a school for the community because: "There is no single school in this community. The education of our future leaders is dear to my heart". 18 Dec 09