According to Dr Lartey, Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio has seen only modest improvement over the past decade, declining from 316 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 301 in 2020. She warned that the country is currently off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. The gender minister noted that many maternal deaths are preventable but persist due to weak health systems, delayed antenatal care, poor emergency transport and referral networks, as well as socio-cultural barriers that delay care-seeking, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities. He attributed the situation to gaps in emergency transport services, blood availability and transfusion systems, weak supply chains for essential maternal health commodities, and inconsistent implementation of maternal and newborn death surveillance mechanisms. Presenting national trends, Principal Planning Analyst at the National Development Planning Commission, Nii Odoi Odotei, said Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio remains unacceptably high at 301 deaths per 100,000 live births, well above the global average of 197.

Source: GhanaWeb December 25, 2025 10:02 UTC