MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE IN CENTRAL REGION HIGHER THAN NATIONAL AVERAGE

November 13, 2003 – (Ghanaian Chronicle - Accra) The Central Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Aaron Offei, on Tuesday said maternal deaths in the region continued to run higher than the nationalaverage.

He said 100 women lost their lives in the region through childbirth in 2001 and 86 last year and that in terms of institutional maternal mortality ratio, the region recorded 3.8 per 1,000 live births compared to the national average of 2.06.

Dr. Offei said this at the opening of a two-day "scientific session on maternal mortality" for 70 health personnel, including district directors of health services, drawn from various parts of the region.

The session is geared towards providing the participants with the requisite information and experience on maternal mortality issues to enable them adopt a more positive approach to the issues of expectant mothers.

Dr. Offei said although it is quite obvious that a lot of factors interplay to contribute to such high maternal deaths there is the need for the regional health directorate to identify those that it can influence and tackle them appropriately.

"From the maternal audit reports which are complied by the maternal mortality task force, considerable number of these deaths could be averted or prevented," he said.

In an opening address read for him, the Regional Minister, Mr. Isaac Edumadze, also expressed concern that the region has been classified as being among four regions in the country with a high incidence of maternal mortality.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200311130722.html