Under the GHS National League Table, the region recorded one death per every 100,000 live births, achieving way beyond the national average of 3.8 deaths per every 100,000 live births.

The Northern Regional Director of Health, Dr Jacob Mahama, disclosed this in a speech read on his behalf at the launch of a project by the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC) to promote maternal and neonatal health care in the region.

Project

The project, dubbed: “Promoting Maternal, Newborn, Infant and Child Sustainable Health Efforts’’ (PROMISE), seeks to reduce maternal and infant mortality by delivering essential health services to mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under five years.

It is being funded by the Canadian government through Global Affairs Canada.

The PROMISE is being implemented in three districts in the region, including the Savelugu, Saboba and Nanumba North districts.

Dr Mahama said in spite of the region achieving the highest antenatal coverage in the country, the region was last with regard to maternal deaths.

The region registered 67 maternal deaths in 2014, 93 in 2015, and 138 in 2016.

Efforts

The Chief of Party of the PROMISE project, Mr Stephen Amoako, said “as countries gain speed in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), CCFC and its consortium partners are keen to making sure that girls, women and children, particularly those in rural communities, are never again left behind.”

He said the PROMISE project had been instituted to help save lives and create a future of hope for children, families and communities.

“We are committed to ensuring that our implementing partners are working diligently to provide comprehensive interventions that anchor health within our intervention communities,” he stated.

Mr Amoako expressed worry over some cultural and religious practices which did not allow pregnant women to seek health care.

Causes

The Kumbungu District Health Director, Mrs Joana Quarcoo, for her part, said anaemia was among the major causes of maternal deaths in the region.

She said most of the expectant mothers in the region suffered from anaemia due to poor eating habits, and urged expectant mothers to be more concerned about what they ate.

She explained that what expectant mothers ate had a significant impact on their unborn babies.

Mrs Quarcoo, however, said low acceptance of family planning in the region, inadequate health personnel, poor road networks and transportation also contributed to the high maternal and child mortalities in the region.