African Union/Ministry of Health Embark On Carmma

A health sensitization and screening programme has taken place at Weija in the Ga West Municipality of Accra.

The screening programme, which marked the beginning of a week-long Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Newborn and Child Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), saw about a hundred people screen for high blood pressure, malaria and blood sugar levels, among various other areas.

The campaign is being organized under the auspices of the African Union (AU), with support from Ghana's Ministry of Health, as part of efforts to bring down maternal mortality rates in Africa.

Speaking at the event, Hon. Tina Mensah, Deputy Minister for Health who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Weija Constituency in the Ga West Municipality, cautioned hospitals against the use of untrained mid-wives at health facilities to ensure safe delivery for women.

Hon. Mensah noted that the use of unauthorized health personnel alongside poor managerial challenges accounted for the high infant morbidity and mortality rates across the country, adding that maternal mortality and infant morbidity, and mortality could be brought to their barest minimum if healthcare professionals paid serious attention to the health needs of expectant mothers and exhibit high professional attributes on the job.

She advised expectant mothers to attend regular check-ups to aid their own safety and that of their unborn children, and assured them that with optimized national health care programmes and availability of adequate social interventions, safe delivery for expectant mothers and less risk during child birth was guaranteed.

"Mothers, please draw closer to a health facility when you are getting due so that you and the unborn child may be safe," Hon. Mensah advised.

In an interview, Hajia Ridhwana Hawa Amoako-Adjei, President of the National Association of Registered Midwives of Ghana, attributed the increasing maternal mortality rates in Ghana to several factors, including the ills of pastors and religious leaders noted for advising expectant mothers to avoid eggs and other nutritious foods, thereby, making the women anaemic? a very dangerous condition for an expectant mother that could lead to grave fatalities, if not identified early.

"Why tell women to refuse caesarian section (CS) because it is caused by the devil and introduce them to fasting and prayer when, you know very well that the life of the mother and the unborn child relies greatly on good health and good nutritional conditions?" Hajia Amoako-Adjei questioned.

She, therefore, urged expectant mothers to include kontomire, borkorbokor leaves and lots of vegetables in their diet to fortify and adequately prepare them for safe delivery and healthy babies.

She said pregnancy was not a disease, neither was it a condition caused, by the devil; but a condition requiring attention at a health facility.

Source: ISD (Mabel Delassie Awuku)

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