Abdul-Rashid Imoro, Project Officer of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) of Savana Signatures, a Tamale NGO, has said some health facilities in the Northern Region had recorded zero maternal mortality due to mobile phone technology the NGO had introduced in the area.
The NGO developed a technology-based mobile telephony in four project areas of the Kumbungu District, the Yendi and Savelugu Municipalities as well as the Tamale Metropolis aimed at reducing maternal mortality.
Mr Imoro said this at a commitment workshop on the �Technology for Maternal Health Project� in Tamale on Saturday.
He said Savana Signatures improved the skills, knowledge and approaches of some midwives and community health nurses in six health facilities that enhanced the use of Information and Communication Technology tools on maternal health information.
He said the Tamale Teaching Hospital recorded 52 maternal mortalities in 2012 and the figure reduced to 47 after Savana Signatures introduced its technology in 2013.
Mr Imoru said the Kings Village Medical Centre recorded one death in 2013 and zero as at October 2014 and the Savelugu Hospital recorded two in 2013 and zero as at July 2014.
Yendi recorded six in 2012 and zero in 2014 and the Tamale West Hospital had two cases this year as against five in 2013.
He said Savana Signatures was able to help achieve the feat because it had provided expectant mothers with weekly Short Message Service (SMS) in English and voice calls in Dagbani for those who cannot read and the technology gave timely information to the expectant mothers on information about their state of pregnancy.
He said the pregnant women also received periodic information on nutrition, hygiene, signs and symptoms of pregnancy, myths and superstition and preparations towards delivery.
Mr Imoro said the commitment workshop with district planning officers, heads of the health facilities and DCEs was meant to share ideas and to see how best they would plan together to sustain the programme after Star-Ghana�s funding ends in December 2014.
He said it was important for the programme to stay after Star Ghana�s funding and stressed that the sustainability of the programme would be how to get mobile phones for expectant mothers who cannot afford.
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