CIA ranks Ghana 41st on world maternal mortality rate

Ghana has been ranked 41st on world maternal mortality rate index,  according to CIA World Fact book report made available to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday.

Ghana rates 350 deaths/100,000 live births; Greece two deaths/100,000 live births; Tunisia 60 deaths/100,000; South Africa 410 deaths/100,000;  Burkina Faso 560 deaths/100,000; Nigeria 850 deaths/100,000; Sierra Leone  970; Liberia  990; Somalia 1,200; Guinea-Bissau   1,000; Chad 1,200 and Afghanistan 1,400.

In view of the high rate Outlook Minik, subsidiary of Design House Projects (DHP), on Tuesday launched funds mobilization drive towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target five to improve the country’s maternal health ratio by 75 per cent by the year 2015.

The rating is based on female deaths per 100,000 live births from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management (excluding accidental or incidental causes).

The MMR includes deaths during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, for a specified year.

In an interview with GNA on the disturbing maternal mortality rating Mr. Dominic Oduro-Antwi, Chief Executive Officer of DHP, said the fund mobilization drive in the form of a musical concert was motivated by the sad and difficult agony that women go through just to bring another life into the world.

He said the second edition of the annual MDG 5 Musical Concert is slated for September 7 at the Accra International Conference Center and will feature renowned musicians like Michelle Hammond from Britain, Kirk Whalum and Darwin Hobbs from USA.

Mr Oduro-Antwi said Outlook Minik was collaborating with Stanbic Bank and RLG Communications for the musical concert to raise funds towards meeting the MDG 5.

He said the funds got from the first event last year were used to support the Ridge Hospital Maternity Ward.

Mr Oduro-Antwi said last year’s concert attracted Forward TV, a media company in the United States of America  to come to Ghana and conduct a documentary on the initiative to educate the public and create awareness of maternal mortality.

He acknowledged the enthusiasm with which Ghanaians were accepting the concept and said “It has been very beneficial to many people.”

Mr Oduro-Antwi appealed to non-governmental organizations and corporate bodies in Ghana to support the initiative.

He said although the concert and support started in Accra, the DHP intended to expand the concert and support base to the entire country.

Meanwhile a report by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) shows that Ghana recorded 1,022 maternal deaths in 2011; and 894 deaths in 2010.

According to GHS, hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and complications of unsafe abortions were among the causes of the deaths, and still births, which accounted for 2 per cent of all births, were also recorded in 2011.

Family planning, component of maternal health in reducing maternal mortality rate in Ghana, recorded a continuous decline in its acceptor rate from 42.1 per cent in 2009, to 34.7 per cent in 2010 and a further declined to 28.1 per cent in 2011.

The report said while antenatal care was nearing universal coverage, skilled attendance at delivery, post-natal care, nutrition services, including breastfeeding, appropriate complimentary feeding for infants and young children, appropriate nutrition, particularly for pregnant women and children needed to be addressed.

Source: GNA