The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has warned expectant mothers against complacency that pregnancy is a natural phenomenon and therefore safe under all conditions. It therefore advised them to take advantage of government’s free maternal health policy to visit the health facility for antenatal care and dismiss the misconception that those who delivered in hospitals were not strong enough. Dr Patrick K. Aboagye, Reproductive Health Programme Manager, Family Health Division of the GHS, said at a Talk on “Reducing Maternal Deaths - Partnership for Action” in Accra that about 15 per cent of all expectant women would develop some complications during pregnancy. He said, although the 92 per cent of expectant women went for antenatal care at least once before delivery, most of them reported after the three months expectancy prescribed period. Maternal mortality in the country is estimated at 214 deaths per 100,000 live births, and have accounted for an average 10,000 deaths in the last 10 years. Giving the statistics on causes of maternal mortality, Dr. Aboagye said 12 per cent of deaths were caused by anaemia, 17 per cent by bleeding and 19 per cent by hypertension. Unsafe abortion, he indicated, accounted for 11 per cent, obstructed labour 7 per cent, infections 10 per cent and other causes 24 per cent. Dr Aboagye warned that if the trend continued till 2015, some 12,000 more deaths would occur with 1,000 more women and children suffering disabilities and 200,000 more infants losing their lives. “The economy would lose 12 million dollars from 2005 to 2015, as a result of the loss of these lives and the effect on productivity, but could gain 140 million dollars within the same period, if interventions are made,” Dr Aboagye said. He therefore called for improved access to emergency obstetric care, skilled attendants, attitude of health workers as well as media campaigns to reverse the trend. Dr Gloria Quansah Asare, Acting Director of the Family Planning Division of the GHS, also called for improved access to family planning to address the problem. “It is only when a family plans for a baby that the news of pregnancy could be received with joy and the expectant mother would have the enabling environment to go through this period safely,” she noted. Dr George Amofah, Deputy Director of the GHS, stressed that risk of one death in every 35 live births in Ghana as compared to 1 in 1,8000 in developed economies was unacceptable. He therefore called for concerted efforts to achieve three-quarters reduction by 2015 as targeted in Goal Five of the Millennium Development Goals. Source:GNA