High Maternal & Infant Mortalities Threaten SDG Achievement

High maternal and infant mortalities could undermine the national efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), if urgent measures are not sustained. Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, who stated this, said maternal and infant deaths remained a major public health challenge in the Ashanti region. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, in an interview in Kumasi, he pointed out that data from his office indicated that the region recorded 232 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. The figure, he said, was the highest reported in the last three years. He said the deaths were recorded within a six-month period, marking a sharp increase compared to previous years and raising concern among health professionals and policymakers. Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng attributed the rising maternal mortality to late reporting to health facilities, delays in referrals, inadequate emergency obstetric care at peripheral facilities, and poor road networks affecting timely access to care. He noted that many cases involved women who arrived at health facilities in critical condition after attempting home deliveries or seeking help from unskilled attendants. He said infant mortality also remained a concern, although Ghana had made progress nationally. Dr Adomako-Boateng said preventable newborn and infant deaths persisted in parts of the Ashanti region, largely due to poor antenatal attendance, complications during delivery, birth asphyxia, infections and limited access to skilled birth attendants. Studies have shown that birth asphyxia accounts for a significant proportion of neonatal deaths in the region, highlighting gaps in intrapartum and immediate postnatal care. He added that socio-economic factors, including poverty, low maternal education and delayed decision-making at the household level, also contributed to both maternal and infant deaths. Infant mortality rates are reportedly higher among mothers with little or no formal education, He said rural and peri-urban communities continued to face challenges in accessing quality maternal and child health services. He said despite these challenges, some interventions were yielding positive results. The introduction of medical drone delivery services for essential medicines and blood products had improved emergency response times in some districts, with evidence suggesting a reduction in maternal deaths at facilities benefiting from the service, he noted The Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services said the Regional Health Directorate had, therefore, called for strengthened referral systems, improved staffing and equipment at district hospitals, intensified community education, and increased male involvement in maternal health issues.