Kumasi, March 19, – Maternal deaths in the Ashanti Region have continued to rise, even as some health service indicators show modest improvements, raising concerns about systemic gaps in referrals, care coordination, and overall quality of care.
Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, presented the figures at a Health Sector Performance Review meeting in Kumasi. He reported that the institutional maternal mortality ratio climbed from 132 per 100,000 live births in 2021 to 179 per 100,000 live births in 2025.
Yearly breakdowns show a rise from 134 in 2022 to 167 in 2023, a slight dip to 166 in 2024, followed by another increase in 2025. Dr. Adomako-Boateng stressed that most maternal deaths were linked to complications involving multiple facilities, rather than a single institution. Only 5.2 percent of fatalities involved women who attended antenatal care and delivered at the same facility.
Facility-specific contributions indicated that Ghana Health Service institutions accounted for 51 percent of deaths, CHAG facilities contributed 32 percent, and private health facilities made up the remaining cases. Regional breakdowns showed 36 percent of deaths occurred in local GHS facilities, with 11 percent in facilities outside the region; CHAG facilities within the region accounted for 23 percent.
Dr. Adomako-Boateng highlighted that skilled delivery coverage fell from 61 percent in 2021–2022 to 55 percent in 2025, below the national target of 65 percent, likely contributing to adverse maternal outcomes.
On a positive note, institutional neonatal mortality improved, declining from eight per 1,000 live births in 2022 to four per 1,000 in 2024 and 2025. Non-communicable disease indicators also showed manageable trends: OPD diabetes cases rose modestly from 0.9 percent in 2021 to 1.51 percent in 2025, while hypertension cases increased from 2.2 percent to 4.1 percent.
Supply chain challenges, referral delays, and inefficiencies in care were identified as key factors affecting maternal outcomes. Dr. Adomako-Boateng emphasized that collaborative action across public, private, and faith-based facilities was essential.
He announced that the region would outline targeted strategies for 2026 to curb maternal mortality and urged stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and align efforts for improved maternal and neonatal health outcomes.
GHBUSS
March 19, 2026
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