A letter to the Mothers of Ghana

Accra, May 11, 2012—As another Mothers Day rolls around, many of us are reminded of the special place our mothers hold in our lives and to our hearts. Whether we celebrate our mothers with a gift, a favour, a lunch or just a special hug, our reason to appreciate them is the same: for growing us and bringing us into this world that we hold so dear.

In a letter to the mothers of Ghana, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights, (ARHR) Vicky Okine expressed gratitude to all mothers for playing such an important role in our lives and our society. She said that ARHR's gift this Mothers Day is support and commitment to protecting women's rights and the rights of their children.

“ARHR and its partners will continue to work hard every day to make sure that maternal and child health is on the national agenda. We will fight to keep politicians accountable for the promises they have made to improve access to health services. Together with our partners, we will protect the interests of women and children when they are at their most precious and vulnerable”, she said.

“We cannot do this without your help. We are therefore calling on each and every woman to stand up for the rights you deserve and to which the Government has promised you: to increase health spending, to strengthen the maternal health care policy, to improve access to skilled delivery and essential newborn care. To date, these pledges are yet to be realized.

“The chance of dying during childbirth in Ghana is still too high. The rate of newborn mortality, especially in regional areas, is still too dangerous. Access to health services and family planning is still too difficult and the doctor to patient ratio is still too low.

“It is only by working together that we can make safe the mothers and newborns of Ghana. Although we are making progress, we must not become complacent about the better world we have been promised and to which we are entitled. Politicians, NGOs, businesses and citizens – we must all play our role in building a better tomorrow”.

“So this year, instead of waiting until the next Mothers Day comes around, let us remember to celebrate our mothers at every moment of every day by ensuring that maternal and child health is a priority to ourselves, our Government and our country”.