ASHANTI HAS WORST NEONATAL DEATH RECORD-SURVEY

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The Ashanti region currently has the worst record in child mortality in Ghana, with 42 neonatal deaths per every one thousand live births. 

This is according to the latest report of the Ghana Demographic Survey. 

The Ashanti Region Newborn Coordinator, Dr. Rita Fosu-Yeboah made this known in Kumasi, at the Dissemination of Findings of Rapid Health Facility Assessment of hospitals in the region under a project code-named, “ Making Every Baby Count Initiative”. 

Rapid Health Facility Assessment is a project being jointly undertaken by PATH, a US-based NGO and the Ghana Health Service. 

The five-year project, which spans 2013 to 2018, is on regional basis. 

In the Ashanti region where the survey was conducted in November last year, 58 of state, faith-based, and para-state hospitals were assessed for their receptiveness to newborns. 

Dr. Fosu-Yeboah in a presentation of the findings said only 24 of the hospitals surveyed had facilities designated for newborn care. 

According to her, the hospitals lacked the requisite logistics and human resource skills to sustain newborns. 

As a result, some mothers and their newborns sleep along corridors, while in some cases the machines and logistics needed to keep the babies alive are not available. 

Also, only 50 per cent of the hospitals had Vitamin ‘K’, which is an essential medication for newborns making the situation quite serious. 

Dr. Fosu-Yeboah mentioned infections, labour complications and Asphysias some of the common causes of neonatal deaths in the region. 

She therefore called for a collaborative effort by all to protect the lives of babies.

 The MP for Asokwa in Kumasi, Madam Patricia Appiagyei pledged to be a lead advocate on newborn safety in Parliament.

 She said plans are also underway to expand the Mother and Baby Unit at the Kumasi South Hospital to properly cater for mothers and their newborns.

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