Child Rights International calls for probe into death of babies

A child-centered organisation, Child Rights International (CRI), has described as disturbing a recent data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) that indicates that 50,000 infants lose their lives every year due to birth asphyxia. 

The organisation, has therefore, called for a probe to identify the underlying and related causes of deaths to inform policy decisions and actions.

In a statement issued and signed by its Executive Director, Bright Appiah, in Accra, the organisation also stressed the need for Parliament to bring into being a bill on the way and manner babies should be handled at birth in the country.

"This process can also be initiated by a Member of Parliament by way of a private member’s bill," the statement added. 

Birth asphyxia

Birth asphyxia happens when a baby's brain and other organs do not get enough oxygen and nutrients before, during or right after birth.

It could occur before birth in the womb and result in stillbirths or during prolonged labour.

According to the Programme Manager for Newborn and Child Health of the GHS, Dr Edward Antwi, on average, one million babies are born every year, and with the current neonatal mortality rate of 17 per 1,000 live births, it means for every one million births, about 170,000 die, and out of this, 30 per cent die from birth asphyxia.

And per the figures, about 136 children die on a daily basis, a situation the organisation said dented the country's healthcare system and put the nation's health sector in a bad light.

"This heartbreaking revelation demands urgent attention and decisive action from both the government and relevant stakeholders," the statement said. 

Policy

The organisation further urged the government to initiate a national policy on standard of care expected at all health facilities that provide child delivery services.

Such a policy must outline specific expectations of stakeholders, including mothers and health personnel, and clearly indicate sanctions that would be meted out to any person found culpable of causing the death of a baby, the statement said.

It added that the policy must include the provision of mandatory psychological services to families that lose their babies at birth.

The CRI also entreated the government to issue a policy that would make it compulsory for all pregnant women to visit health facilities to help in the early diagnosis of asphyxia.

"As a child centered organisation, our first priority is to call on the government, policy makers and all relevant stakeholders to direct efforts and resources necessary in ensuring that this statistic is greatly reduced in line with SDG Goal Three"