Gender and Protection Advisor to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Akosua Manu, has called for urgent and sustained action to reduce Ghana’s maternal mortality rate and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Speaking in an interview on Kyzz FM’s Morning Show, Madam Manu said Ghana had made some progress in reducing maternal deaths over the years, but the country’s figures remained significantly high and required stronger interventions.

She said model estimates show that Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio declined from about 310 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015 to approximately 234 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023.

Despite the improvement, Madam Manu noted that the country still had a considerable gap to close if it was to meet the SDG target by 2030.

“We have made progress, but the progress is not enough,” she stressed, calling for deliberate and sustained investment in maternal healthcare.

According to her, thousands of women have lost their lives to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications over the years, making it necessary for authorities to strengthen the health system and remove barriers that delay access to emergency care.

District-level healthcare infrastructure

Madam Manu said improving maternal health outcomes would require increased investment in healthcare infrastructure and emergency services, particularly in underserved communities.

She advocated for every district to have access to a well-equipped health facility capable of providing essential maternal healthcare.

Such facilities, she explained, would help reduce delays in accessing care while easing pressure on major hospitals, where women are often referred to when complications arise.

She also called for the completion of the Agenda 111 hospital projects, arguing that the facilities could significantly expand access to healthcare services across the country.

Beyond infrastructure, she said the completion of the projects could create opportunities for the deployment and absorption of more health professionals, including nurses, to underserved areas.

Technology in emergency maternal care

Madam Manu further advocated greater use of emergency medical delivery systems such as Zipline, which uses drones to transport essential medical supplies to health facilities, particularly those located in hard-to-reach communities.

She said strengthening such emergency response systems could help ensure that critical medical supplies reach health facilities when they are needed, potentially preventing avoidable maternal deaths.

She maintained that improving maternal healthcare should not only focus on treatment but also on ensuring that women can access timely and quality care regardless of where they live.

Ghana's 2030 target

The Gender and Protection Advisor said Ghana’s progress in reducing maternal mortality was encouraging but should not lead to complacency.

She urged policymakers and stakeholders to intensify efforts to address gaps in healthcare infrastructure, emergency response and the availability of skilled health professionals.

Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio of about 234 deaths per 100,000 live births remains considerably above the SDG target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Madam Manu therefore called for sustained political commitment and investment in maternal health to ensure that more women survive pregnancy and childbirth.

She said achieving the 2030 target would require deliberate action across the health sector, particularly in communities where access to timely and quality maternal healthcare remains a challenge.