Upper East records 27 maternal deaths despite 100% antenatal care coverage
Dr. Braimah Baba Abubakari, Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service in the Upper East Region, disclosed during a Joint Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health Strategic Planning Meeting in Bolgatanga that 27 pregnant women died during childbirth between January and June 2026. He attributed the deaths largely to delays in reporting to health facilities and late referrals from Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds to district and regional hospitals.
The Upper East Regional Health Directorate achieved 100 percent antenatal care coverage for pregnant women in the first half of 2026. This figure of 27 maternal deaths compares to 60 maternal deaths recorded during the same period last year. Dr. Abubakari also disclosed that the Bawku Municipality and Builsa South District each recorded four maternal deaths during the period. He stated, "A lot of the deaths occurred in April and May. They have now slowed down." He added that analysis showed some interventions were made, but patients still died because they arrived at the facility late, either due to long distance and bad roads, or they waited too long until there were complications.
Quick Summary
The Upper East Regional Health Directorate has achieved 100 percent antenatal care coverage for pregnant women in the first half of 2026. However
Summary - read the full story for complete context.
Image: MyJoyOnline
Also covered by
GhanaFront aggregates news from trusted sources. Click to read the original article.
Keywords
Explore related tagsMore from MyJoyOnline
Related Stories
More from Health
'We truly care' - UGMC responds to allegations of poor-quality care
Amidst growing public concern, the UGMC addresses criticisms of its patient care, urging the use of official complaint channels.
10 Aug•2 min read
