Cape Coast: The Central Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched a strategic move towards an Accelerated Action to Improve Maternal and Newborn Survival health outcomes.
The project seeks to advance in full range, maternal and newborn health service indicators in reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition services.
To make it more viable and relevant, it had been translated in the local languages for clients to easily understand and communicate with health personnel.
Dr Marion Okoh-Owusu, the Regional Head Director in charge of public health, explained that the move would facilitate the process of attaining zero maternal deaths.
The intervention would increase skilled attendants at birth and reduce maternal mortality ratio, anaemia in pregnancy at 36 weeks and neonatal mortality rates.
The meeting, which was held both in-person and virtually, was to build the capacity of staff to deliver targeted health information and skilled services to pregnant w
omen and newborns.
The mission seeks to engage traditional birth attendants, community leaders, and prayer camps through media sensitisation and resource mobilisation with empowered staff.
In the same way, there would be group antenatal care with a minimum of three home visits during pregnancy, improved pregnancy schools and organise midwives’ meetings at the district and regional levels.
Dr Okoh-Owusu called on all stakeholders to support the GHS with logistics and funds to enable it to reach out to all to help achieve the universal health coverage.
In an overview of the Accelerated Action to Improve Maternal and Newborn Survival health outcomes, Mrs Rosemond Yeboah Sarpong, the Regional Public Health Nurse, said family planning coverage had been increasing from 40.8 per cent in 2022 to 44.6 per cent in 2023, above its target of 40 per cent.
She said enormous benefits of family planning serves included the prevention of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and reduction in rates of inf
ertility.
Mrs Sarpong encouraged pregnant women to seek antenatal care within the first trimester of pregnancy for comprehensive and effective care.
With the presence of a skilled birth attendant, she said the possibility of death owing to intra-partum-related complications or stillbirth could be reduced.
Source: Ghana News Agency