Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyirah, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has disclosed that last year, over 1,000 mothers lost their lives in the process of giving birth.

He explained that the figure is an indication that the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) centres are not meeting the targeted purpose, and advised staff of CHPS centres to visit pregnant women and be interested in transport arrangements for them to health centres when they are in labour.

He was speaking at this year’s Annual Review Meeting of Health Institutions in the Eastern Region in Koforidua .

Dr Apiah-Denkyirah called for collaboration with stakeholders at the community level, to achieve the purpose of the CHPS concept.

He explained that the CHPS concept was a strategy to eliminate maternal and neonatal deaths to the barest minimum, and so collaborating with community and opinion leaders, as well as traditional authorities, the key stakeholders, was imperative.

Dr Appiah-Denkyirah pointed out that figures recorded in maternal and neonatal deaths were unacceptable, and therefore health management teams from the zonal to the national level, must scale up strategies to make the CHPS centres functional.

The Director-General announced that government had procured a fund of 68 million dollars to support GHS to build more CHPS centres across the country, especially in the hard-to-reach areas, and indicated that maternal and child health remained a priority, and therefore all staff of the GHS must play their roles well.

Dr Charity Sarpong, the Eastern Regional Director of Health said, even though maternal, neonatal and child health statistics for 2014 recorded marginal decreases, it was still not encouraging, and therefore the region has strengthen all its indicators to reduce them to the barest minimum.

Total deliveries increased from 68,760 in 2013 to 75,135 in 2014, maternal deaths reduced from 123 in 2013 to 109 in 2014, fresh still births reduced from 55.2 % to 0.5%, macerated still birth also reduced from 1.1% to 0.9%, while family planning acceptance rate reduced from 28.30% to 27.5% in the year under review.

Dr Sarpong said, stringent efforts were being made to address the challenges in maternal and child health, and mentioned efforts such as addressing negative staff attitudes at the health centres, reviving zonal maternal mortality conferences, which brings on board all health providers and strong supervision.

She expressed the hope that with concerted efforts, and high professional standards, the Eastern Region could achieve its target, in ensuring that, maternal and neonatal deaths were reduced in the region.