FIRST LADY LAUNCHES CARMMA PROGRAMME IN UPPER EAST
FIRST LADY LAUNCHES CARMMA PROGRAMME IN UPPER EAST November 08, 2011
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD - BOLGATANGA
The First Lady of Ghana, Dr. Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills has launched the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa, [CARMMA] at Bolgatanga in the Upper East region. The launch marks the beginning of an advocacy process with district and municipal assemblies in the region to join hands with the Ghana Health Service in eradicating pregnancy related deaths. The CARMMA strategy will also hasten the achievement of Millennium Development Goal five which bothers on maternal mortality.
In her address to launch the programme under the theme: “Ghana Cares; No Woman Should Die While Giving Life”, Mrs. Naadu Mills called on staff of Ghana Health Service [GHS] especially midwives who are essential players in skilled child delivery to blend culture with their professional training in taking care of both mother and child from pregnancy to postnatal periods.
The First Lady noted that eradicating maternal mortality is not the sole responsibility of Ghana Health Service [GHS] alone and therefore called on all stakeholders including NGOs, traditional rulers, district and municipal assemblies to lend the needed support to the GHS in attaining the Millennium Development Goals four and five which have a bearing on maternal mortality and child health.
Mrs. Naadu is committed to taking the CARMMA campaign to all the 10 regions of Ghana to drum home the need for all to stretch their limits in reducing maternal mortality by the 2015 deadline.
In his welcome address, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo observed that the region is among four regions in the country with high maternal deaths saying for instance in year 2000, the maternal mortality ratio was 141 per 100,000 live births. Meanwhile, a Ghana Health Service report of 2007 pegged pregnancy-related mortality ratio at 541 per 100,000 with the highest number of deaths recorded during pregnancy followed by delivery.
Mr. Woyongo also noted that records at the regional health directorate show that from 2011 maternal deaths reported so far, 31 per cent of 26 maternal deaths came from the Bawku Municipality. According to Mr. Woyongo, a worrying phenomenon is that, 50 per cent of the 26 maternal deaths occurred at the hospitals, a situation which makes him wander why pregnant women are still dying needlessly in the midst of modern facilities and specialists.
The regional minister further revealed that 23 per cent of the maternal deaths were handled by doctors, 31 % by midwives and nine per cent handled by trained and untrained traditional birth attendants. He however, expressed relief that the Ghana Ambulance Service called on him recently to announce the opening of three new ambulance stations in the region including one each at Navrongo and Sandema to fast track emergencies including those relating to child birth and pregnancy complications.
He commended partners like the International Planned Parenthood Federation, UNFPA, Pathfinder International, UNICEF and Family Planning & Comprehensive Abortion Care [CAC] for giving technical and financial support to various initiatives in the country geared towards safe motherhood.
The Country Representative of UNFPA, Dr. Bernard Coquelin in a statement disclosed that CARMMA strategy is use policy dialogue, advocacy and community social mobilization to enlist political commitment and increase resources to support maternal health. He said CARMMA provides additional value to ongoing efforts geared towards further implementation of the programme of action of the 1994 international conference on population and development and t he Maputo plan of action on sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa.
Among participants at the launch were district and municipal chief executives, chiefs, women’s groups and staff of the Ghana Health Service.
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD - BOLGATANGA
The First Lady of Ghana, Dr. Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills has launched the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa, [CARMMA] at Bolgatanga in the Upper East region. The launch marks the beginning of an advocacy process with district and municipal assemblies in the region to join hands with the Ghana Health Service in eradicating pregnancy related deaths. The CARMMA strategy will also hasten the achievement of Millennium Development Goal five which bothers on maternal mortality.
In her address to launch the programme under the theme: “Ghana Cares; No Woman Should Die While Giving Life”, Mrs. Naadu Mills called on staff of Ghana Health Service [GHS] especially midwives who are essential players in skilled child delivery to blend culture with their professional training in taking care of both mother and child from pregnancy to postnatal periods.
The First Lady noted that eradicating maternal mortality is not the sole responsibility of Ghana Health Service [GHS] alone and therefore called on all stakeholders including NGOs, traditional rulers, district and municipal assemblies to lend the needed support to the GHS in attaining the Millennium Development Goals four and five which have a bearing on maternal mortality and child health.
Mrs. Naadu is committed to taking the CARMMA campaign to all the 10 regions of Ghana to drum home the need for all to stretch their limits in reducing maternal mortality by the 2015 deadline.
In his welcome address, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo observed that the region is among four regions in the country with high maternal deaths saying for instance in year 2000, the maternal mortality ratio was 141 per 100,000 live births. Meanwhile, a Ghana Health Service report of 2007 pegged pregnancy-related mortality ratio at 541 per 100,000 with the highest number of deaths recorded during pregnancy followed by delivery.
Mr. Woyongo also noted that records at the regional health directorate show that from 2011 maternal deaths reported so far, 31 per cent of 26 maternal deaths came from the Bawku Municipality. According to Mr. Woyongo, a worrying phenomenon is that, 50 per cent of the 26 maternal deaths occurred at the hospitals, a situation which makes him wander why pregnant women are still dying needlessly in the midst of modern facilities and specialists.
The regional minister further revealed that 23 per cent of the maternal deaths were handled by doctors, 31 % by midwives and nine per cent handled by trained and untrained traditional birth attendants. He however, expressed relief that the Ghana Ambulance Service called on him recently to announce the opening of three new ambulance stations in the region including one each at Navrongo and Sandema to fast track emergencies including those relating to child birth and pregnancy complications.
He commended partners like the International Planned Parenthood Federation, UNFPA, Pathfinder International, UNICEF and Family Planning & Comprehensive Abortion Care [CAC] for giving technical and financial support to various initiatives in the country geared towards safe motherhood.
The Country Representative of UNFPA, Dr. Bernard Coquelin in a statement disclosed that CARMMA strategy is use policy dialogue, advocacy and community social mobilization to enlist political commitment and increase resources to support maternal health. He said CARMMA provides additional value to ongoing efforts geared towards further implementation of the programme of action of the 1994 international conference on population and development and t he Maputo plan of action on sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa.
Among participants at the launch were district and municipal chief executives, chiefs, women’s groups and staff of the Ghana Health Service.
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