A Total of 138 maternal deaths were recorded in the various hospitals and clinics in the Northern Region last year, according to Dr. Braimah Baba Abubakari, Deputy Regional Director of Ghana Health Service in charge of clinical care.
He said this was the highest figure recorded since 2012 which is the highest in the country.
Dr. Abubakari, who was speaking at the launch of a project known as "Promoting Maternal, Newborn, Infant and Child Sustainable Health Efforts (CCFC-Promise)" in Tamale Tuesday, said that statistics indicate that maternal deaths rose from 66 in 2014 to 92 in 2015.
The project is being initiate by CCFC with the financial support from government of Canada, and lamented that the rate at which pregnant women lost their lives during childbirth was alarming, and that it was important for all stakeholders to help halt it.
"The rate at which pregnant women die at our health institutions is frightening hence the need to join efforts tor educe it," Dr. Abubakari stated.
He lamented that most pregnant women delay reporting to health institutions when in labour, as some of them always seek clearances from their spouse.
Dr. Abubakari asked opinion leaders to support the Ghana Health Service ind delivering health care, and expressed worrying about high death rate among children under five years in the region.
The Country Director of CCFC, George Baiden, said the CCFC was committed to promoting health status of women, hence the launch of the project in the region.
He explained that the project was meant to help reduce high maternal deaths being recorded in the region, adding that, "We value our women because through them, human lives are delivered into this world."
High Commissioner of Canada, Healthier Cameron, assured that her country would support Ghana to reduce maternal deaths.
She stated that there was no way the country could attain development "if we allow pregnant women to die during childbirth."
In a speech read on her behalf, the Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, reiterated government's commitment to resource health institutions, to ensure quality health delivery.
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