The Deputy Minister for Health has paid courtesy calls on two of Ghana’s most prominent traditional rulers, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse, and Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu, the Asantehene, as part of a working tour of the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions aimed at rallying support against maternal mortality.
The visits formed part of activities under the Maternal Mortality Action and Response Plan (MMARP), a Ministry of Health initiative to accelerate the reduction of maternal deaths and ensure that every woman survives pregnancy and childbirth.
According to the Deputy Minister, the courtesy calls were intended to secure the backing of traditional authorities, whom she described as key partners in the national effort to protect the lives of pregnant women.
“Maternal health is not solely the responsibility of doctors and nurses. Communities, families, chiefs, queen mothers, religious leaders and opinion leaders all have a role to play in ensuring that pregnant women receive timely and appropriate care,” she said.
She said she was encouraged by the commitment shown by both the Asantehene and the Ga Mantse, who pledged that traditional leaders would champion maternal health awareness and encourage women to seek antenatal and delivery care early and consistently.
The traditional leader engagements followed working visits to the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regional Health Directorates, where the Deputy Minister met health managers, medical directors, frontline professionals and development partners to review maternal mortality trends and identify gaps in emergency obstetric care and referral systems.
She also visited the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, engaging directly with doctors, nurses and midwives on the challenges facing frontline health workers.
Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio has declined from 943 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 234 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, according to World Health Organisation estimates, but remains well above the SDG and WHO target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
The Deputy Minister said the tour underscored that access to antenatal care alone is not enough to save lives, calling for stronger emergency response systems, improved referrals and greater community accountability, with traditional authorities playing a central role in driving that change.