Mr Daniel Syme, the Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, has said the government was committed to reducing maternal mortality and improving the lives of women and adolescent health.

Mr Syme said this was evident in the number of interventions the government had put in place to improve health delivery and among them was the upgrading of a number of hospitals and putting up new health facilities.

The Deputy Regional Minister said this when he received a five- point recommendation from the Puagba Saha Foundation, a non-governmental organization promoting health issues and educating women and adolescent girls of the Norther, Upper East and Upper West regions, on reproductive health of women and girls at a forum in Bolgatanga.

The forum aimed at highlighting issues affecting women and girls and to harness energies to seek ways of reducing maternal mortality and adolescent sex issues that affect the progress of women.

Mr Syme said the government acknowledged the importance of women hence its commitment to place priority on their health.

Mrs Sawuratu Allassan, Executive Director, Puagba Saha Foundation, who presented the recommendations, reiterated the increasing rates of maternal mortality, teenage pregnancies early marriages and rape among others that were affecting the progress of women and girl children.

She therefore on behalf of stakeholders appealed to the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council to place on their agenda, education on adolescent reproductive health by Municipal and District assemblies because that was important to curbing teenage pregnancies and maternal mortality.

Mrs Allassan also appealed to chiefs to update some of the cultural practices by banning practices that prohibit sex education by families.

The Executive Director said despite interventions by government to improve lives of women and girls some traditional practices and lack of commitment by implementers of policies was the cause of the problems.

She said some traditional practices prevented women from accessing services regarding health and education and that some of those practices also prevented early announcement of onset of pregnancies, thus affecting early attendance at antennal clinics.