The Vice President's wife through the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP) has launched the ‘the Safe Delivery Project’ aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in deprived communities.

SEHP, a not-for-profit organization founded by Samira Bawumia, also seeks to support government's reduce neonatal mortality from 29 per 1000 live births to 12 per 1000 live births in keeping with UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The Safe Delivery Project was launched on Thursday, in the East Gonja Municipality of the Northern region under the theme: “Promoting Safe Deliveries and Ensuring Healthy Infants; Securing Our Future.”

Speaking at the launch, Mrs. Bawumia said over the next few years, SEHP seeks to provide over 100,000 well-resourced birth kits to expectant mothers in Ghana. 

The kit contains medicines and supplies which will all be distributed by trained community-based volunteers and health personnel to 100,000 expectant mothers in the worst affected communities in Ghana. 

“The SEHP Safe Delivery Project aims to contribute to the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality through training, education and the provision of well-resourced birth kits to expectant mothers in the worst affected communities across Ghana. 

“It is also a comprehensive approach to tackling the problem of maternal and neonatal mortality,” she stated.

According to her, through the project, the country can change the narrative with regards to maternal and neonatal mortality is concerned.

She is hopeful that through the project the lives of our expectant mothers will be transformed and improve their reproductive health and contribute to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals’ target of 70 per 100,000 births worldwide.

Under the program, expectant mothers will be given information on the use, importance and impact of these birth kits. These pregnant women are expected to go to health facilities with the kits during labor. 

In addition, qualified Senior Midwives will train Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and nurses on how to effectively use the birth kits and ensure safe delivery practices for the expectant mothers, in the absence of a nearby health facility.

Present at the launch were representatives of the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Health, the Gender and Children’s Ministry, Chiefs and Clergy from the East Gonja Municipality among others. 

Prior to the launch, a team of Volunteers and supervisors trained Senior Midwives, TBAs and Volunteers (nurses) in the East Gonja Municipality on the 8th of May, on the proper use of the birth kit and safe delivery practices. 

Beneficiaries of the first deliveries of the birth kits are residents of Six (6) sub-districts within East Gonja; Kpalbe, Makango, Bunjai, Buma, Jantong and Salaga.