BY Grace Zigah
A worrying rise in maternal deaths in the Upper East Region has exposed growing gaps in the country’s maternal healthcare system, even as health authorities intensify efforts to improve outcomes.
Figures released by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) show that maternal deaths increased sharply from 40 in 2024 to 60 in 2025, representing a significant setback in the region’s quest to improve maternal health.
This surge has pushed the institutional maternal mortality ratio to 132 deaths per 100,000 live births, up from 97 per 100,000 the previous year—well above the global target of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Speaking at the 2025 Annual Performance Review in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, described the trend as alarming and a deviation from the targets under Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The review meeting, held under the theme of strengthening health systems through monitoring and supervision, served as a platform to assess performance and identify gaps in service delivery.
Beyond maternal deaths, the region continues to grapple with other maternal and child health challenges. Cases of anaemia in pregnancy rose slightly from 17,020 in 2024 to 17,377 in 2025, underscoring persistent nutritional and healthcare access issues among expectant mothers.
While antenatal care coverage improved from 74.28 percent to 83.65 percent, early registration remains largely stagnant. First trimester antenatal attendance recorded only a marginal increase from 60.2 percent to 60.3 percent, although still above the regional target of 55 percent. Health authorities say intensified public education will be key to encouraging early reporting among pregnant women.
Equally concerning is the stagnation in stillbirth rates, which remained unchanged at 9.9 percent between 2024 and 2025. Neonatal mortality also worsened, rising from 5 deaths per 1,000 live births to 6 per 1,000—an increase of nearly 15 percent.
However, there was a slight improvement in the overall institutional mortality rate, which dropped from 19.3 percent to 18.9 percent.
Dr Abubakari indicated that maternal, child, and adolescent health remains a top priority, with ongoing interventions aimed at reversing the trend.
These include refresher training for midwives in safe motherhood practices and efforts to expand skills in newborn resuscitation to reduce preventable deaths.
The Regional Maternal Mortality Taskforce continues to audit maternal deaths and support health facilities in implementing corrective measures, while partnerships with health organisations are helping to build capacity among frontline workers, particularly at Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds.
Meanwhile, general health indicators reveal a slight decline in outpatient attendance per capita, from 1.20 in 2024 to 1.18 in 2025, within a population of over 1.4 million. The leading causes of hospital visits remain consistent, dominated by malaria, upper respiratory tract infections, diarrhoealdiarrhoeal diseases, typhoid fever, and anaemia.
