Accra, Oct. 2, GNA – Unsafe abortion has become a critical public health concern in Ghana, leading to high rate of maternal mortality in the country. Nana Yaa Appiah, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Women’s Voices, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), who made the observation said most women denied access to safe abortion mostly end up being attended to by ‘quacks’ leading to their death. She was speaking at a day’s workshop to promote maternal health in Accra.
It was organised in collaboration with IPAS, Ghana, an NGO to educated 30 selected female pharmacists on abortion. Nana Appiah urged pharmacists to help curb the high level of unsafe abortions in the country.
She noted that pharmacy shops were the first place of call for induced abortions, however, about 30 per cent of women who visited these shops were denied services while the rest were assisted but later die. Nana Appiah urged pharmacists to educate and direct expectant mothers determined to abort their pregnancies to health facilities to reduce the maternal mortality rate.
Ms. Elsie Appau, Chief Executive Officer of Media-Com Plus Ghana Limited, said legalisation of abortion was an alternative to reduce unsafe abortions and reduction in maternal mortality rate in the country.
Source: GhanaWeb
