Ministry of Health Targets 30% Reduction in Maternal Deaths Within Two Years

Edited by Solomon Kwabena Nana-Ansah – Paaps – 

Ghana’s Ministry of Health has launched a national strategy aimed at reducing maternal deaths by 30 percent within the next 24 months across 11 high-burden referral and teaching hospitals nationwide.

According to recent data, Ghana recorded 965 institutional maternal deaths in 2025, with 42 percent of the cases occurring in 11 referral and teaching hospitals, underscoring the heavy burden on major healthcare facilities.
Speaking at the National Maternal Mortality Reduction Action and Response Programme (MMARP) Stakeholder Consultative Meeting, held under the theme “From Data to Action: Accelerating the Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Ghana by 2030,” Deputy Minister for Health, Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah described maternal mortality as a national emergency requiring urgent, coordinated, and data-driven interventions.

She explained that the Ministry’s strategy will focus on tackling the leading causes of maternal deaths, including postpartum haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, and sepsis. Measures outlined include the strict enforcement of clinical protocols, improved emergency response systems, and the strengthening of referral networks across the country.

Prof. Ayensu-Danquah also announced plans to fast-track the approval of the National Patient Referral Policy and its Implementation Guidelines to ensure timely, efficient, and coordinated patient transfers at all levels of healthcare delivery.

Additionally, the Ministry intends to prioritise the retooling of high-burden hospitals with essential medical equipment, blood products, emergency response systems, and other critical healthcare supplies to improve maternal health outcomes.

She urged stakeholders to move beyond discussions and commit to decisive action, stressing that preventable maternal deaths must not continue in Ghana.

The consultative meeting brought together key stakeholders in the health sector, including officials from the Ghana Health Service, Regional Health Directors, development partners, and frontline health workers, all united in efforts to reduce maternal mortality and strengthen maternal healthcare delivery nationwide.