Despite progress in some countries, the global number of maternal deaths per year estimated at 529,000 or one every minute during the year 2000 has not changed significantly since the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), according to recent estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA (2003). Millions more women survive but suffer from illness and disability related to pregnancy and childbirth (Safe Motherhood Initiative, 2003).
The average woman in sub Saharan Africa faces a 1:16 life risk of dying in pregnancy and childbirth, compared with a 1 in 2800 chances for a woman in a developed country. Of the 520,000 estimated deaths each year, over 99% of these occur in developing countries such as Ghana and nearly half occurs in Africa …show more content…
While maternal mortality figures vary widely by source and are highly controversial, the best estimates for Ghana suggest that roughly between 1,400 and 3,900 women and girls die each year due to pregnancy-related complications. (Maternal and Neonatal Programme Effort Index, 2002). Additionally, another 28,000 to 117,000 women and girls will suffer from disabilities caused by complications during pregnancy and childbirth each year (Maternal and Neonatal Programme Effort Index, 2006) and this made Dr. Elias Sory, the Director-General of Ghana Health service tasked health workers in the country by saying "You must wake up to the realization that one maternal death is a calamity and allow the system and standards to work so we can achieve heights countries such as Sweden and Sri Lanka have reached recording no maternal death." He said this when he was delivering a speech at 9th Annual General Conference of Medical Superintendents' Group (MSG) at Ho on October 20th …show more content…
(Ghana Health Service Facts and Figures, 2007; 2009). It can be noted that in the year 2006 there was a decrease of 4.81% but there was a sharp increase in the mortality by 22.94% in 2007 (Ghana Health service Facts and Figures, 2007; 2009). This increase has not declined fully since there were minimal reductions of 13.04% and 15% in 2008 and 2009 respectively. This situation of maternal health instead of improving towards the achievement of the MDG 5 in the year 2015 is rather deteriorating although the Government of Ghana has made a provision for the care of expectant mothers in the country through the Free Maternal Delivery Care
The average woman in sub Saharan Africa faces a 1:16 life risk of dying in pregnancy and childbirth, compared with a 1 in 2800 chances for a woman in a developed country. Of the 520,000 estimated deaths each year, over 99% of these occur in developing countries such as Ghana and nearly half occurs in Africa …show more content…
While maternal mortality figures vary widely by source and are highly controversial, the best estimates for Ghana suggest that roughly between 1,400 and 3,900 women and girls die each year due to pregnancy-related complications. (Maternal and Neonatal Programme Effort Index, 2002). Additionally, another 28,000 to 117,000 women and girls will suffer from disabilities caused by complications during pregnancy and childbirth each year (Maternal and Neonatal Programme Effort Index, 2006) and this made Dr. Elias Sory, the Director-General of Ghana Health service tasked health workers in the country by saying "You must wake up to the realization that one maternal death is a calamity and allow the system and standards to work so we can achieve heights countries such as Sweden and Sri Lanka have reached recording no maternal death." He said this when he was delivering a speech at 9th Annual General Conference of Medical Superintendents' Group (MSG) at Ho on October 20th …show more content…
(Ghana Health Service Facts and Figures, 2007; 2009). It can be noted that in the year 2006 there was a decrease of 4.81% but there was a sharp increase in the mortality by 22.94% in 2007 (Ghana Health service Facts and Figures, 2007; 2009). This increase has not declined fully since there were minimal reductions of 13.04% and 15% in 2008 and 2009 respectively. This situation of maternal health instead of improving towards the achievement of the MDG 5 in the year 2015 is rather deteriorating although the Government of Ghana has made a provision for the care of expectant mothers in the country through the Free Maternal Delivery Care