President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana’s maternal mortality rate remains three times above the recommended Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target, describing the situation as unacceptable.

He made the remarks at a high-level Accra Reset event held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday, September 21.

President Mahama identified maternal and child health as one of the key measures by which the proposed global reset would be assessed.

“We are still three times above the recommended SDG targets in maternal mortality. This is unacceptable,” he said.

He noted that maternal deaths remain a significant challenge across sub-Saharan Africa, with the region accounting for nearly seven out of every 10 maternal deaths globally each year.

According to President Mahama, addressing the challenge requires stronger health systems and international partnerships, with health placed at the centre of the Accra Reset.

“Health is any human being's most precious possession, and that is why we've selected as the first battleground for this global reset the health sector,” he said.

The President also rejected arguments that structural reforms should be delayed until global geopolitical tensions ease.

“Crisis is precisely why and when new paradigms are forged. Many a time, out of chaos are born new ideas and partnerships,” he stated.

The event also saw the presentation of the final report of the Accra Reset High-Level Panel to the Presidential Council chaired by President Mahama. The report, titled “A Sovereign Future for Health,” sets out recommendations for reforms in global health governance and strengthening national and regional health systems.

The Accra Reset event forms part of activities on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, bringing together political leaders and development partners to discuss health governance and broader global development cooperation.

Ghana has also recently intensified its domestic response to maternal deaths through the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response (PRIMER), a five-year programme aimed at reducing maternal deaths by 20% annually.