Accra, Jan. 10, GNA - A panel discussion aimed at reducing maternal mortality in the country has identified ignorance of women, especially in the rural areas about their reproductive health, as a factor that contributes to maternal mortality in the country.

The discussion, jointly organized by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Health and the Institute of Economic Affairs, centred mainly on the causes of maternal deaths and the role of all stakeholders to ensure safe delivery and that pregnant women had safe delivery and enjoy good health during post natal period. Mrs. Ernestina Djokoto, President, Ghana Registered Midwives Association, a panellist said some pregnant women delayed attendance at health cetres when in labour until complications set in, adding that, some of them also relied on local birth attendants who were not skilled but believed to have had spiritual powers for child delivery.

Dr. Ali Samba, an Obstetrician and a Gynaecologist, of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital expressed regret that most cases of childbirth complications referred to the hospitals got to them rather late thereby resulting in deaths.

He expressed regret that patients had to queue for emergency caesarean sessions due to lack of adequate facilities in the hospital thus endangering the lives of patients.

He suggested that due to reduce maternal mortality in the country, women should be allowed to terminate unwanted pregnancies in hospital and adequate and modern hospital facilities provided to equip all hospitals. "Ghana has the most liberal abortion law and that would be implemented to save the lives of women who qualified for safe abortion". Dr Samba called for the need for the training institutions to train students on safe motherhood and issues on maternal mortality adding, "this will rather equip them when they come out to work on the field than what was being done now, which is just training them for export .." Ms. Benedicta Kwame of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning said funding was not a problem because enough funds have been devoted to the ministries involved and urged the ministries to set their priorities right.

She also called for the need for the Ministry of Health to intensify advocacy on reproductive health issues and laws that would prevent young girls from early marriage. Dr Maureen Martey of the Ministry of Health said the ministry was going to invest into research to get real records on maternal mortality to get appropriate records of women who die of pregnancy related complications and also investigate why many women failed to attend anti-natal facilities whilst those who attended also failed to deliver at health facilities.

Professor Fred Sai Presidential Advisor for HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health and Population Issues, who presided called on parents to educate their female children not to engage in premarital sex. He called for hospital facilities to be youth friendly so the young ones could enter and access services when needed.