AS STATISTICS on maternal mortality ratio indicate that about 40% of women die through childbirth, the deputy Health minister Moses Dani-Baah has reiterated government's commitment and determination to improve access to health delivery among women by ensuring that the health sector plays an essential role in the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy.

According to him, poverty and negative socio-economic practices are the causes of women's low health seeking behaviours, which prevent them from taking decisions that affect their health.

He said it is in this light that the Safe Motherhood Programme has been implemented by the Ghana Health Service to address the high maternal and death rate and also contribute to reducing infant illness.

The programme, he noted components women's health education, antenatal care, supervised delivery and family planning.

He said the ministry is working towards developing a framework that will assist the private health sector to have access to financial support for providing better services.

Disclosing this at the launch of the Women's Health Foundation, an NGO to address women's health issues, in Accra, he hinted that the ministry is to engage non-governmental organizations in strategies that will create innovative ways of promoting the private sector in health service delivery.

Hon. Dani-Baah expressed buoyancy that the birth of the foundation marks the beginning of a true remedy for women's health problems.

With the dedication of all stakeholders, he said the foundation could bring down the rate of deaths associated with pregnancy and childbirth to acceptable levels in the near future.

Hon. Christine Churcher, the minister of State in charge of Primary, Secondary, and Girl-Child Education, noted that women contribute a lot towards the growth and development of societies as well as the attainment of high living standards.

She therefore quizzed why women should become shackled by heart-breaking problems if they enhance socio-economic development by their activities.

She said the NPP government is determined to restore hope and respect to the Ghanaian woman through quality education and skill training.

Mindful of its promise of positive change, she said the NPP government is also committed to reduce by half, the population of people living in extreme poverty.

Continuing, she said it has also put in place a policy framework that will help reduce poverty and accelerate economic growth.