Dr. John Koku Awoonor- Williams, Upper East Regional Director of Health has said maternal health has improved in the region in the past five years.

He said maternal health had scaled up from 31 per cent over the last five years to 70 per cent, through the hard work of health professionals.

Dr. Awoornor was reacting to media reports on maternal mortality in the region at a just ended HIV/AIDS workshop in Bolgatanga, which was attended by the regional and district health directors and other stakeholders in the region.

He said the introduction of the Community Health and Preventive Services compounds and provision of health facilities in the districts had promoted maternal health.

Dr. Awoonor- Williams said these facilities ensured that patients and pregnant women contacted health workers regularly, especially during emergencies.

He said some media reports distorted the facts that were on the ground, and called on journalists to avoid sensationalism and decipher politics with what was happening on the ground.

Dr. Awoonor- Williams said though some pregnant women preferred to be attended to by traditional birth attendants because of their faith and culture, more educational programmes were on-going to change the trend.

He said it required “not only health workers but other stakeholders to come together to eradicate maternal mortality in the country in order to attain the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) on Health.

Dr. Awoonor- Williams said bearers of the National Health Insurance Scheme cards, who attended antenatal at health facilities on in the region, received most of the required drugs.**