Entertainment of 2026-09-01
MzGee urges presidency, health ministry to take urgent action on maternal mortality
Media personality MzGee has called for urgent national action to address maternal mortality in Ghana, expressing concern over what she describes as the growing number of reports of women dying during childbirth.
Speaking on the issue, MzGee, a mother and convener of the Convergence of Mothers, an annual event that brings mothers together to share experiences and learn from experts, said no woman should lose her life while attempting to give birth, particularly at a time when modern medical technology and equipment are available in health facilities across the country.
“I cannot imagine what it would be like to carry a seed for nine months … and then you go to labour, expecting to come home with your bundle of joy, and then you either die or that baby doesn't come home with you,” she said.
Her comments come amid renewed public concern over maternal deaths, including the death of 31-year-old Theresa Boakye Dua following a Caesarean section at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as Ridge Hospital.
Theresa’s husband, Daniel Ofori Asante, alleged in a Facebook post on August 28 that negligence by the hospital and some medical personnel contributed to his wife's death.
The couple had been married for 19 months, and according to Asante, the Caesarean section was Theresa's first childbirth experience. He said they had trusted Ridge Hospital to safely deliver their first child, but the procedure ultimately resulted in a devastating loss for the family.
While stressing that maternal mortality is not limited to one health facility, MzGee said the repeated reports involving different hospitals should be treated as a national concern rather than isolated incidents.
“It hasn't even had to do with just a particular hospital. Yes, some hospitals, you keep hearing their names, but there are many hospitals … we are hearing these stories coming from,” she said.
The Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, disclosed on August 6, 2026, that 986 pregnant women died in Ghana in 2024, with the country's maternal mortality ratio standing at 235 deaths per 100,000 live births.
She described maternal mortality as a major health concern and stressed that no woman should die while giving birth.
Long-term data, however, show that Ghana has made substantial progress in reducing maternal deaths. According to World Health Organization and World Bank data, the country's maternal mortality ratio fell from 943 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 234 in 2023.
Despite the improvement, the persistence of preventable maternal deaths remains a major public health concern.
For MzGee, the issue is therefore not simply about access to money or choosing a well-known hospital.
“People have money, they're going to big hospitals, they're going to hospitals that have made names over the years, but still … what is happening?” she questioned.
She called on the Ministry of Health to examine maternal death cases across health facilities and establish the circumstances surrounding each death.
“The Health Ministry should begin to look into these cases. They are becoming one too many, and it's not just a facility,” she said.
MzGee also questioned how maternal deaths are investigated and reported, calling for greater transparency from health facilities and accountability where negligence is established.
“Who's ensuring that these hospitals are giving us factual reports? Who is holding them to ransom? If I don't have a voice, who gets to hear about me?” she asked.
She further appealed to the Presidency, the Ministry of Health and the First Lady, Lordina Mahama, to make maternal health a national priority and support efforts to identify the root causes of maternal deaths.
“I think that the Presidency should begin to look into this issue,” she said, adding that maternal health should be treated as “a project” requiring sustained attention.
MzGee also urged authorities to ensure that investigations into reported maternal deaths produce clear findings that can inform improvements in healthcare delivery.
According to her, the lessons from such investigations could also help educate pregnant women and health professionals and prevent similar incidents.
Beyond the statistics, MzGee warned that persistent reports of maternal deaths could create fear and anxiety among pregnant women who rely on hospitals for safe delivery.
She said women should not have to approach childbirth wondering whether they will return home safely.
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“I can't be pregnant and be scared to go to the hospital to give birth. I can't be frightened. I can't be unsure in my mind whether I'm going and returning because I've had too many stories of women going on and on,” she said.
She argued that such uncertainty could itself have serious psychological consequences for expectant mothers.
MzGee acknowledged Ghana's progress in reducing maternal mortality but questioned whether the country could consider the current situation satisfactory when individual women and families continue to suffer devastating losses.
“Nobody should die trying to give life to another,” she stressed.
She called for immediate action, proper investigations and accountability in cases where wrongdoing is established, insisting that maternal mortality must remain a national issue rather than a series of isolated tragedies.
AM
