Ghana missed MDGs on maternal mortality due to poor health facilities - Christian Council

General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has attributed Ghana’s failure to achieve maternal mortality targets in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on lack of proper health facilities.

According to a report on the MDGs, Ghana currently loses 144 mothers to every 100,000 live births at its health facilities, below a global target of 54 deaths to 100,000 live births.

According to Dr Opuni-Frimpong, non-availability of health facilities in both rural and urban areas of the country worked against meeting the target.

Speaking Monday on Adom FM’s “Burning Issues” hosted by Afia Pokua, Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong said another militating factor to meeting the MDG on maternal mortality was poor roads.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the eight international development goals that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration.

The eight goals include, eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality.

Others include Improve maternal health, Combat HIV / AIDS, malaria and other diseases, Ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development.

In September 2000, Ghana committed to these eight MDGs and associated indicators for 15 years.

Ghana has again signed onto the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that takes over from the MDGs.

The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana said for Ghana to make progress in meeting targets in the new SDGs, militating factors to the MDGs must be removed.

He added that the high cost of healthcare delivery in across the country sometimes forces pregnant women in rural areas to deliver at home instead of visiting health centres.

He also said politicization of national issues could also may affect implementation of key projects to meeting the new targets.