An estimated 3,100 maternal deaths were recorded in Ghana in 2013, the Dean for the School of Public Health at the University of Ghana, Professor Richard Adanu has revealed.
He said one in every 66 women 15 was likely to die from a maternal health issue by the age of 49.
Speaking during a lecture on how blood donation could mitigate maternal deaths, Prof Adanu, said since 1990 deaths relating to maternal health had reduced drastically by about 49%.
“Also institutional maternal mortality ratio has also reduced from 230 in 2009 to 153 in 2012,” he added.
The lecture, which was organized by the Ghana National Blood Services and sponsored by Mamaye Ghana, a maternal health oriented NGO, was on the theme: “Safe Blood for Saving Mothers”.
He said continuous antenatal care, use of nutritional supplements and skilled care as some of the measures which could curb maternal deaths during pregnancy and appealed to people to donate blood as the absence of blood and blood products limited the effectiveness of maternal health care workers.
“Also the absence of blood storage at a facility increases the delay in being able to save a mother’s life,” he added.
He said the government was working to reduce maternal deaths by 75% as well as to have 90% deliveries or births attended to by skilled attendants by 2015.
Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, said women played critical roles at home and the socio-economic development of the country hence the need to protect their lives.
She reiterated the call for all people to donate their blood to save lives.
Source: GhanaWeb
