Advisor on Gender and Social Protection to NPP Flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Akosua Manu, known in media circles as Kozie, has called for a national emergency response to Ghana’s maternal mortality crisis.
She is urging Parliament to institute a bipartisan inquiry into the deaths of women during pregnancy and childbirth amid rising concerns over maternal mortality in the country.
According to her, the continued loss of women to pregnancy-related complications requires urgent national attention and a coordinated response from government and other stakeholders.
In a Facebook post reacting to the death of a woman identified as Theresa Boakye, who lost her life at the Ridge Hospital in July this year, Kozie said the tragedy had once again brought into sharp focus the devastating consequences of maternal mortality on families and communities.
“We do not take maternal mortality seriously enough,” she stated.
She added that: “According to the Ghana Health Service in 2025 alone, 965 women died from pregnancy-related complications. Nine hundred and sixty-five women. Perhaps what makes this even more frightening is how many of us know someone, or know of someone, who went to have a baby and simply did not come home. Sometimes, both mother and baby are lost.” She added.
Kozie also called on Parliament to investigate the factors responsible for maternal deaths, stressing that
‘’We need to understand why women are still dying during pregnancy, childbirth and in the period immediately after. We need to look honestly at emergency obstetric care, blood availability, referral systems, staffing, response times and the conditions in our health facilities.’’
‘’And most importantly, the inquiry must not end with another report gathering dust somewhere. We need clear recommendations, timelines and accountability for implementation.’’ she said.
“When we pay attention, when we put the right systems in place and when we are deliberate about maternal healthcare, we save lives.”
She therefore urged national stakeholders to treat maternal mortality as an emergency requiring sustained political commitment, stronger health systems and accountability for results.
Kozie stressed that Ghana has the capacity to do better and must act decisively to ensure that childbirth becomes a moment of joy rather than a source of preventable loss and grief.
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