In spite of the efforts and strategies introduced to reduce maternal deaths, stakeholders in health are still bewildered about the upsurge in unsafe abortion in the Upper East Region.
According to the Ghana Health Service, in 2019, complications of unsafe abortion accounted for 9.2% of direct maternal deaths in Ghana.
At the regional launch of the programme which focused on “Stop preventable maternal deaths and disabilities due to unsafe abortion” in Bolgatanga, the Regional Health Director, Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi indicated that in 2019, complications of unsafe abortion accounted for 3% of direct maternal deaths in the region.
“In the Upper East Region, complications of unsafe abortion accounted for 3.0% of direct maternal mortality as at the health annual report in 2019 and about 25 cases of post-abortion complications that include; bleeding, perforation, Sepsis. In the same year, 647 cases of induced abortions were reported to our facilities.”
The figure, he said was high and called for all stakeholders to effectively collaborate to reduce the phenomenon or possibly eliminate unsafe abortions
He also encouraged the media to use their medium to educate the public on the need to do safe abortions.
“The law in Ghana though permits abortion under certain circumstances, access to safe abortion services also remains a challenge. We, therefore, need that collaborative effort by all.”
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
