Northern Region records increase in maternal mortality

Ghanaian

The Northern Region has seen a concerning increase in maternal mortality, rising from 69 cases in 2022 to 100 in 2023.

This spike has pushed the institutional maternal mortality rate to 136.7 per 100,000 live births in 2023, compared to 94.5 per 100,000 live births in 2022, surpassing the national target of 125 per 100,000 live births.

During

Read full articlethe 2023 annual performance review in Tamale, the Northern Regional Health Directorate highlighted the challenges contributing to this trend, including inadequate logistics, infrastructure, doctors, and poor road access to health centers in deprived communities.

Dr. Abdulai Abukari, the Regional Director of Health Services, expressed concern over the situation and called for concerted efforts to address the rising maternal deaths.

The three-day conference, themed "Sustaining Essential Health Service Delivery Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage: The Role of Stakeholders in Resources Mobilisation," brought together representatives from public health facilities and stakeholders to review the region's performance and challenges, and discuss ways to improve healthcare services.

Despite the increase in maternal mortality, there were slight improvements in other areas. Antenatal Clinic coverage stood at 97.2% in 2023, compared to 102.4% in 2022, while skilled deliveries decreased from 76.8% in 2022 to 75.2% in 2023.

The region also saw a slight decrease in the Caesarean section rate, from 10.8% in 2022 to 9.8% in 2023, partly due to the lack of anesthesia machines in some health facilities.

Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), emphasized the importance of strengthening the primary healthcare system to improve service delivery and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

He called for collaborative efforts from all stakeholders to address the challenges facing the healthcare sector and improve healthcare delivery.

The Northern Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Shaibu, commended the health directorate for its efforts in improving healthcare in the region despite the challenges.