Maternal death on the rise in BA

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maternal mortality nigeria
maternal mortality

Unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal deaths in the Brong-Ahafo Region, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang, Deputy Director, Public Health at the Regional Health Directorate, said on Tuesday.

He said the situation, which is mostly among teenagers, is very rife and alarming, accounting for at least 20 percent of all maternal mortality in the region.

Such deaths, the Deputy Director observed, were due to avoidable complications, indicating that many of the pregnant girls applied herbs, while others sought the services of quack doctors who operate clandestinely.

Dr Tenkorang made these known when the executive body of the Global Media Foundation, an anti-corruption and human right advocacy Non-Governmental Organisation, paid a courtesy call on him in Sunyani.

Led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the visit was to enable the NGO to officially introduce a three-year health project it is implementing in parts of the region, to the Directorate.

Dr Tenkorang emphasized that abortion is legal, and the directorate is currently in collaboration with other health partner organizations, carrying out abortions in some selected health facilities in the region.

He said 15 health facilities in the region had been approved to do the termination of unwanted pregnancies, adding counseling units had been set up at the facilities that offered free counseling services to pregnant girls.

Dr Tenkorang said at those approved facilities, the abortions were done at subsidized cost, and sometimes done free, depending on the situation, and asked pregnant girls to guard against unsafe abortion and visit the facilities for assistance.

He condemned public stigmatization against teenage pregnancy, explaining that that was the more reason why most pregnant girls secretly apply concoctions and herbs to terminate their pregnancies.

Dr Tenkorang stressed the need to give pregnant girls another chance to live, considering the rate at which they are dying as a result of unsafe abortions, and sometimes the numerous complications they go through.

Dubbed ?advocating for young women?s access to safe abortion contraceptives in Ghana?, Mr Ahenu explained the project being funded by the Safe Abortion Fund (IPPF), at the cost of 128,000 dollars, aimed at helping girls and young women in the region to access safe abortion and contraceptive services.

He said the project is being implemented in 21 communities and 14 Senior and Junior High Schools in seven districts and municipalities in the region.

The beneficiary areas are Sunyani, Kintampo North, Techiman, Wenchi and Dormaa Municipalities as well as Jaman South and Tano North Districts. GNA

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