Over 80% of births in Ghana occurred in health facilities in 2022
Data gathered by the Births and Deaths Registry has revealed that 88.2 per cent of reported births in 2022 occurred in health care facilities.
They included hospitals, polyclinics, health centres, clinics, and CHPS compounds.
The information was in the 2022 Births and Deaths Registration Statistical Report, launched by the Registry in Accra on Thursday.
The report also indicated that in six regions, over 90 per cent of registered births occurred in health facilities.
These regions are Upper East (98.5%), Greater Accra (96.1%), Ashanti (95.6%), Upper West (95.2%), Ahafo (95.1%), and Bono East (91.5%).
In six other regions, over 80 per cent of registered births took place in healthcare facilities.
These were the Eastern region (89.3%), Central (87.1%), Western (85.5%), Bono (84.1%), Western North (83.9%), and Volta region (82.6%).
The remaining four regions were North East, Northern, Oti, and Savannah, where birth rates at health institutions were less than 75 per cent.
For example, 72.4 per cent of births occurred at health facilities in the North East, compared to 72.2 per cent in the North. The Oti region recorded 71.3 per cent, while Savannah recorded 70.7 per cent.
Despite the considerable progress, the Registry expressed concern about the 11.8 per cent of births that occurred outside of healthcare facilities, such as homes and other places.
As a result, the Registry has urged stakeholders and development partners to help reduce the gap and ensure that every birth in the country takes place in a health institution.
The Births and Deaths statistical report, the first issued by the Registry since its founding in 1888, will be an annual compilation of Registry’s statistical activity, including the number of births and deaths reported during the year.
It is a compilation of data from registries in 261 districts of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana.
The report highlights key demographic indicators from birth and death events, such as birthplace, cause of birth or death, and age at birth or death, among others.
Source: GNA