Ghana targets 20% annual reduction in maternal deaths – Health Minister

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, says Ghana is targeting a 20 per cent annual reduction in maternal deaths as part of renewed efforts to improve maternal healthcare and prevent avoidable deaths among pregnant women and new mothers.

He said the target reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening maternal health services and ensuring women have access to timely, quality and effective medical care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.

Mr Akandoh made the disclosure while addressing global health leaders at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, where he outlined Ghana’s interventions to improve maternal health outcomes.

He explained that the government’s commitment to reducing maternal mortality had informed the launch of the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response (PRIMER), which seeks to strengthen the country’s response to emergencies threatening the lives of pregnant women and mothers.

“We recognise that financing alone will not save mothers. It takes political leadership, it takes functioning health systems and it takes accountability for results. That is why under President John Dramani Mahama, we have launched the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response. Our ambition is clear: to reduce maternal deaths by 20 percent annually,” he said.

Mr Akandoh stressed that reducing maternal mortality required more than financial investment, emphasising the need for strong political leadership, functional healthcare systems and accountability for results.

The Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response was officially launched on September 16, 2026, by Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.

The initiative is expected to support Ghana’s efforts to improve maternal health outcomes by strengthening emergency responses and ensuring pregnant women and mothers receive timely and appropriate medical care.

The 20 per cent annual reduction target forms part of the government’s broader efforts to improve maternal healthcare and prevent deaths that could be avoided through effective interventions and access to quality health services.