‘Every birth counts’: The critical need to improve emergency maternal care in Ghana

 Imagine a young woman in labour, her heart racing, her unborn child in distress. She arrives at a district hospital — tired, scared, and in need of immediate care. What happens next determines whether she lives, whether her baby survives — and whether another Ghanaian family is shattered by a preventable loss.

A recent study in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region is shedding new light on the realities of emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) in Ghana. The findings are sobering — but they also reveal a clear path forward.

Why this matters now

Despite progress in maternal health, far too many Ghanaian women are still dying from child­birth-related complications. Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio is estimated at 308 per 100,000 live births — near­ly 20 times higher than the average in high-income countries.

“We know what the problems are, and we know how to solve them,” says Dr Reuben Esena, one of the study authors. “The question is: are we willing to invest where it matters most — in women’s lives?”

What the study found

The research, published in the International Journal of Science Aca­demic Research, evaluated three key hospitals — St. Martins Catholic Hospi­tal, Atua Government Hospital, and Akuse Government Hospital — which serve a population of over 108,000 in Lower Manya Krobo.

The study reviewed 271 cases of obstetric complica­tions and found that the most common were:

– Foetal distress (18 per cent)

– Com­plications from previ­ous C-sec­tions (13 per cent)

– Pre-ec­lampsia and ec­lampsia (8 per cent)

– Cephalopelvic dis­proportion and breech deliveries (7 per cent)

These complications are not rare, nor are they unpredictable. Most are entirely preventable or manageable — with timely intervention and well-equipped facilities.

A mixed picture: Progress and gaps

The good news? All three hospi­tals provide round-the-clock EmONC services, staffed by midwives, medical officers, and anaesthetists. Life-saving drugs like oxytocin and magnesium sulfate are widely avail­able. Caesarean sections and manual placenta removal are routinely per­formed when needed.

The bad news? None of the facil­ities had an infant laryngoscope — essential for newborn resuscitation. Only one had ergometrine to control bleeding after childbirth. And not a single case utilised assisted vaginal delivery — even where it might have been appro­priate.

In some cases, multiple complica­tions overlapped, such as foetal distress plus severe pre-eclampsia. For a woman in that situation, every minute counts. Every delay risks two lives — or more.

Who’s Most at Risk?

Women aged 25–29 years had the highest number of complications — a reminder that even “prime age” pregnancies can be dangerous without the right support. But adolescents and women over 40 faced some of the most se­vere risks, including eclampsia, foetal death, and difficult labour.

“Our younger girls, especial­ly those between 15–19 years, are particularly vulnerable,” the study noted. “They come late to the hospi­tal, sometimes after trying traditional remedies at home. By the time they arrive, it’s often too late.”

A national crisis demands national response

The maternal health challenges in Lower Manya Krobo reflect a broader national reality. Many districts across Ghana lack the full complement of staff, drugs, and equipment required for quality EmONC services.

But the solutions are not out of reach.

So what must we do?

1. Invest in life¬-saving supplies and training: Every hospital handling deliveries should be equipped with the full range of emergency tools — including items as simple, but critical, as an infant laryngoscope or ergometrine injection.

2. Improve documentation and digital health systems: Accurate re­cords allow clinicians to track compli­cations and adjust care accordingly. Ghana’s shift to digital health must prioritise maternal health systems.

3. Decentralise comprehensive EmONC: More health centres and CHPS compounds need capacity to offer basic EmONC. Complications don’t wait for referrals — care must be accessible at the first point of contact.

4. Promote community education: Women and families must be educat­ed on the importance of antenatal care, early referrals, and hospital deliveries, especially in rural areas where myths and delays still cost lives.

Every woman deserves a safe birth

This study is more than data — it’s a call to action. Behind every statistic is a mother, a child, a family. Ghana has the knowledge, the workforce, and the policy framework to make maternal death a thing of the past.

What remains is commitment — not just in funding, but in leadership, in community involvement, and in valuing every single life.

As the researchers conclude: “Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care is not a privilege. It is a right — and one that Ghana must deliver.”

By Henry Okorie Ugorji