Ghana has set a target of reducing maternal deaths by 20 percent annually over the next three years under a new five-year Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response (PRIMER).
The initiative comes amid concerns over the country’s maternal mortality rate, which currently stands at about 234 deaths per 100,000 live births, significantly above the Sustainable Development Goal target of fewer than 70 deaths by 2030.
The Ministry of Health also recorded 965 institutional maternal deaths in 2025, with a significant proportion involving women referred from lower-level health facilities.
PRIMER was launched by Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama under the theme, “No Woman Should Die While Giving Life.”
The initiative seeks to tackle delays in identifying high-risk pregnancies, emergency referrals and access to critical care, blood and other essential resources.
Deputy Minister for Health, Prof. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, said the Ministry’s Maternal Mortality Action and Response Programme (MMARP) had been incorporated into PRIMER as its fifth pillar to provide a dedicated clinical and operational response to maternal deaths.
She said the government would strengthen primary-level maternal healthcare, referral systems and emergency response as part of efforts to achieve the annual 20 percent reduction target.
Launching the initiative, the Vice President said Ghana’s maternal mortality rate remained above the SDG target and required urgent action beyond the provision of clinical care.
She said factors such as transportation, poor roads, water, energy, communication and coordination between health facilities could determine whether a woman received timely emergency care.
PRIMER will therefore bring together government institutions, local authorities, health professionals, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, the private sector, development partners and communities to address the multiple barriers contributing to maternal deaths.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang urged health professionals and community leaders to ensure that pregnant women seek care early and that emergencies are identified and managed without delay.
She stressed that reducing maternal deaths required coordinated action across the health system and beyond it.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
