V/R Queenmothers Council, health directorate to help reduce maternal deaths

The Volta Regional Queenmothers Council is to work in collaboration with the Volta Regional directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to undertake some interventions aimed at reducing maternal deaths in the region.

This is in line with national programmes to achieve the goals set under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) four and five to reduce child mortality and improve health of mothers during pregnancy and after birth.

The deputy Volta Regional Director of the GHS in charge of Clinical Health, Mr Robert Adatsi, said queenmothers of the various communities and clans were expected to open and superintend a community register of women to monitor the  health status of women and girls and counsel those who needed medical care to visit health facilities.

He said pregnant women in clans and communities would be monitored and encouraged to visit hospitals and clinics regularly for ante-natal and post-natal services.

Community health nurses

Mr Adatsi said they would be linked to Community Health Planning Services(CHPS) compounds  with a community health nurse to monitor pregnant women until they delivered and  until the baby was five years old.

The Queenmother of Ho-Dome, Mama Atrato II, described such community programmes that focused on specific areas that dwelt on the reality of maternal health and teenage pregnancy as relevant, pointing out that schools, parents, churches and opinion leaders must rise to  the occasion to address these problems.

“The reality of teenage sexuality must be openly discussed with both children and parents as targets to reduce mortality rate,” she stated.

Mama Atrato said educational standards had fallen in the region, hence the need to empower more girls.  She added that men in relationships with teenaged girls should be held responsible for their actions that resulted in teenage pregnancy.

The president of the Queenmothers  Council, Mamaga Agbalisi of  the Akpini Traditional Area, asked women to overcome all obstacles to make the partnership with the health service a success.