The second lady, Mrs. Samira Bawumia, through the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP) has launched ‘The Safe Delivery Project’ aimed at reducing maternal and neo-natal mortality drastically in deprived communities of Ghana.
SEHP, a not-for-profit organization founded by the Second Lady of Ghana, Mrs. Samira Bawumia, seeks to use the project as a catalyst to first, reduce maternal and mortality from the current reported level of 319 deaths per 100,000 live births to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals’ target of 70 per 100,000 live births.
Secondly, the project aims to help in the efforts by government reduce neo-natal mortality(newborn deaths) 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, 10 May 2018 in the East Gonja Municipality of the Northern region under the theme: “Promoting Safe Deliveries and Ensuring Healthy Infants; Securing Our Future.”
Below is a copy of a press release on the initiative
THE SAFE DELIVERY PROJECT
Ghana has registered a gradual decline in maternal mortality rate in the last decade. The gains, though moderate, brought the national maternal mortality down from about 740 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in the 1990’s to 319 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. This is far from the country’s set target of 185 per 100,000 live births in 2015. Despite these gains, maternal and neonatal mortality continue to be unfortunate health issues that Ghana is still grappling with.
The Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service continue to implement evidence based and high impact interventions to reduce the incidence of maternal and neonatal mortality.However, the interventions of these government agencies are hampered by challenges such asinsufficient funding, human resources and essential supplies especially at the peripheral levels, as well as inadequate monitoring and supervision of service delivery. (2016 Report of the Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service).
It is against this background that the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP), a not-for-profit organization founded by the Second Lady of Ghana, Mrs. Samira Bawumia, has developed The Safe Delivery Project; themed “Promoting safe deliveries and ensuring healthy infants; Securing our future” to contribute to the reduction in maternal mortality from the current reported level of 319 deaths per 100,000 live births (Ministry of Health, October 2017) to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals’ target of 70 per 100,000 live births. The Project also aims at contributing to the reduction in the neonatal mortality rate which currently stands at 29 per 1,000 live births, as disclosed by the Health Minister of Ghana on 28th October 2017.
Over the next few years, SEHP aims to provide up to 100,000 well-resourced birth kits to expectant mothers all across the country. The kit contains medicines and supplies (Misoprostol tablets, pre-natal and post-natal vitamins and mineral supplements, medicated soap, gauze swab, cord clamps, cord sheet, sterile blade, delivery mat, cord ties, sterile gloves, combine dressing, baby hat, name tag, cord sheets, and methylated spirit) 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 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.
The launch of ‘The Safe Delivery Project’, themed ‘Promoting Safe Deliveries and Ensuring Healthy Infants; Securing Our Future’ took place on Thursday, 10th May, 2018 in the East Gonja Municipality, Northern Region.
Present at the launch were representatives of the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Health, Chiefs and Clergy from the East Gonja Municipality, and many 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.
In keeping with SEHP’s health objective which is to provide vital health interventions to children, women and medical institutions, “The Safe Delivery Project” was developedin an effort to improve the survival chances of mothers and newborns by addressing some of the major causes of maternal and neonatal mortality- Postpartum Hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders and infections.
With the hope of contributing its quota to society, SEHP aims to establish a sustainable basic birth kit supply system that can potentially be scaled up by the government. Data obtained during the project will be analyzed and forwarded to the relevant state institutions. This data would contribute to national policy aimed at reducing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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