There is significant improvement in the fight against maternal mortality in the North East Region. The region in 2022 recorded 6 institutional maternal deaths in 2022 compared to 16 deaths in the year 2021.
This brings the Institutional Maternal Mortality ratio to 30.5 per 100,000 live births in 2022 compared to 84.8 per 100,000 live births for the year 2021 with the national target being 125 per 100,000 live births.
This is significant to Ghana’s efforts in achieving the sustainable development goal 3 which is to Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages by 2030. The objective of the goal is to increase life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers responsible for child and maternal mortality.
Dr Abdulai Abukari, North East Regional Director of Ghana Health Service, at the 2022 Annual Performance Review meeting said maternal mortality has been a major challenge in the region.
“Last year, the Regional Health Directorate took some serious measures towards addressing this worrisome trend of Maternal Deaths in the region and I am happy to report that our measures have paid off leading to over 60% reduction.”
He further solicited the support of all stakeholders and development partners in the region in combating the menace.
“I will therefore like to seize this opportunity to solicit the continuous support of the Hon. Regional Minister and all other stakeholders in our fight against Maternal Deaths” he appealed.
Meanwhile, in the year under review, clinical services in the North East region – both Outpatient and Inpatient services registered a slight increase in 2022 compared to 2021.
In 2022, the region’s OPD per Capita stagnated at 0.75 which is below the target of 1.00. The proportion of insured patients at OPD decreased marginally from 87.5% in 2021 to 85.6% in 2022.
Director Abdulai Abukari observed one of the challenges that accounted for this declined in addition to nonavailability of medicines across health facilities was the operations of several unlicensed Over-the-Counter -Medicine shops and Drug peddlers across the region, stressing some operators detain and admit patients in their shops.
He noted this has however been brought to the attention of FDA and Pharmacy Council for action.
