Eastern Region records 130 maternal deaths in 2011
The Eastern Region recorded 130 maternal deaths in 2011 as against 115 recorded last year 2010.
Mrs Margaret Odame Adufu, Deputy Regional Director of Nursing Services in charge of Public Health, made this known at a press soiree in Koforidua on Friday.
The Ghana Coalition of non-governmental organisations in Health (GCNH) organised the soiree to facilitate the bridging of the equity gab of accessing sexual reproductive health service and ensuring sustainable financing arrangements to protect the sexual reproductive health and rights of the poor in the region and Ghana as a whole.
Mrs Adufu noted that many teenagers engage in pre-marital sex due to peer influence and advised parents to be friendly with their girl-child and to educate them on the consequences of indulging in unprotected sex.
Mr James Boamah, Regional Chairman of the GCNH, noted that the role of the media is very critical and key in the work of the coalition.
He therefore called for partnership between the GCNH and the media in order to achieve the common objective.
“You could not play any meaningful role if you do not understand the scope and the concept of the topic in question, hence the soiree to update your knowledge on the subject matter,” he stressed.
Mr Boamah said the duty of the media in promoting sexual reproductive health is meant to address challenges such as sexual coercion including rape and defilement, unsafe abortion involving the use of concoctions and dangerous drugs), contraceptives, teenage pregnancy, maternal health, family planning and HIV and AIDS.
Mr Boamah expressed the need for the challenges to be addressed if Ghana is to meet the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 by 2015.
He called for the examination of policies and laws whether they are effectively addressing the issues of sexual reproductive services and the rights of the poor.
During an open forum, the electronic media was criticised on the way alcoholic beverages are advertised on their medium without taking the health of the populace into consideration.
Source: GNA