Accra: Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has launched the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response (PRIMER), a five-year plan aimed at reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths in Ghana. PRIMER seeks to enhance emergency response, maternal and newborn care, referral systems, accountability, and institutional coordination.
According to Ghana News Agency, speaking at the national launch in Accra under the theme 'No Woman Should Lose Her Life While Giving Life', Prof. Opoku-Agyemang acknowledged that although Ghana has made progress in maternal healthcare, the maternal mortality rate remains unacceptably high. She highlighted that about nine out of ten women receive at least four antenatal care visits, and a similar proportion deliver in health facilities, with skilled health personnel attending approximately 86 percent of births.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang emphasized that despite more women accessing formal health systems, the maternal mortality ratio still exceeds the Sustainable Development Goal target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. She insisted that efforts must extend beyond healthcare access to improving quality, readiness, and emergency response speed. The Vice President pointed out that transport, communication systems, receiving facilities, and clinical teams must function seamlessly to prevent manageable complications from becoming fatal.
She noted that Ghana possesses the expertise and knowledge of interventions necessary to save maternal and newborn lives. She cited Dodowa as a successful case where, according to President Mahama, a previous intervention led to a period of zero maternal deaths. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stated that the leading causes of maternal deaths are known and largely preventable or treatable, but delays and insufficient emergency capacity often turn manageable complications fatal.
PRIMER, first introduced to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Implementation Coordination Committee, is a multisectoral initiative aimed at addressing challenges like financing, infrastructure, staffing, procurement, data, and community mobilization. It involves coordination among ministries, public institutions, local authorities, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, the private sector, and communities.
The initiative will also focus on strengthening maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response, improving data quality and timeliness, clarifying institutional responsibilities, and supporting regular high-level reviews. On the financial front, PRIMER will support sustainable domestic financing while seeking responsible external support to strengthen national systems.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stressed that PRIMER would not only cover maternity and newborn care but also referral and transfer systems, access to blood, medicines, essential equipment, community engagement, and effective use of data. She emphasized the importance of women returning safely to their families with their babies as the standard by which PRIMER should be measured.
The Vice President called on families and communities to encourage early care-seeking behaviors, recognize danger signs, and ensure timely support for pregnant women. She urged traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, and the media to enhance public education on maternal health and emergency care. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang expressed optimism that PRIMER would help more mothers survive pregnancy and childbirth, keeping families whole.