The First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo’s Mothers’ Day message highlighted the strides left to be made in order to reduce child and maternal mortality to acceptable levels in Ghana.
Mrs. Akufo-Addo mentioned logistical constraints at the Komfo Anokye Hospital Teaching Hospital, and stressed the need to support her “Save a Child Save a Mother” campaign, which seeks to build a new unit for the Komfo Anokye maternity block.
“As we celebrate mothers’ day, I wish to remind all Ghanaians of the needless deaths of mothers and children at the Komfo Anokye Hospital. No woman should die giving life to another, and no mother should lose a child she has carried for nine months. As we honour mothers, let us all resolve to contribute to the ‘save a child save a mother’ project by contributing in cash or in kind to the special fund to build a new unit for the Komfo Anokye maternity block,” she said.
Mrs. Akufo-Addo has been garnering support from Ghanaians and corporate organisations to raise GHc 10 million to construct a new mother and baby unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
There is also a 1,000-bed Maternal and Children’s Block project at the hospital which has remained uncompleted for some four decades, and management has stressed the need for the completion of the project so as to improve the facilities and offer the needed clinical interventions in the area of paediatric and maternal health care.
The 1,000-bed Maternal and Children’s Block at KATH has been in the construction stage for about 40 years
The maternal mortality rate at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has reduced from 10.56 per 100,000 live births in 2015, to 10.20 per 100,000 live births in 2016, according to its management.
Maternal mortality ratio estimates, per 100,000 live births in Ghana, was recorded at 319 in 2015, per the World Bank collection of development indicators compiled from officially-recognized sources.
This number is slightly better than UN projections for 2015, that stood at 358, but the Millennium Development Goals 5 target 190 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
Most maternal deaths in Ghana are said to be preventable, and about 65% of them are attributable to four main causes: postpartum haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders and sepsis.
Find below the First Lady’s full Mothers’ Day message
MOTHERS’DAY MESSAGE FROM THE FIRST LADY OF THE REPUBLIC MRS. REBECCA NAA OKAIKOR AKUFO-ADDO
Today is mother’s day and I salute all mothers and mother figures. Motherhood is a tough job. Mothers never rest. A mother would move heaven and earth for her child. Mothers shape our lives, nurture our talents and inspire us to achieve greater heights. Every mother deserves to have this special day.
As a mother, I am mindful of the struggles mothers go through, as we work tirelessly to instill discipline, protect and create opportunities for a better life for our children.
I wish to use this opportunity to urge all mothers to keep up the good work even in the face of challenges, knowing that in due course we would all enjoy the fruit of our labour.
I also urge everyone to appreciate all the mothers in our lives. Because they are simply phenomenal.
Whether this woman is your mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, foster or adoptive mother, please remember to say thank you today. These women deserve your appreciation.
As we celebrate mothers’ day, I wish to remind all Ghanaians of the needless deaths of mothers and children at the Komfo Anokye Hospital. No woman should die giving life to another and no mother should lose a child she has carried for nine months. As we honour mothers, let us all resolve to contribute to the save a child save a mother project by contributing in cash or in kind to the special fund to build a new unit for the Komfo Anokye maternity block.
Please pay your cheque or cash into the Save a Child Save a Mother account, at Access bank.
Happy Mother’s to all our phenomenal women.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
