Maternal mortality is on the rise in the Ashanti Region, with new figures showing institutional deaths climbing steadily over the past three years, the Regional Health Director, Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, has revealed.
Speaking at the Mid-Year Review Programme of the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, Dr. Adomako-Boateng disclosed that institutional maternal mortality ratios have worsened significantly. “For the first half of 2023, there were 144 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. This increased to 158 in the first half of 2024, and further surged to 232 in the first half of 2025,” he stated.
The programme was held under the theme: “Strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) through Networks of Practice (NoP) towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC): The Role of Stakeholders.”
An analysis of the figures by The Chronicle shows that within the last two years (2023–2025), the region has recorded 534 maternal mortalities. Between 2023 and 2024, deaths rose from 144 to 158 per 100,000 live births, a 9.7% increase.
From 2024 to 2025, the figure jumped sharply from 158 to 232, a 46.8% rise, translating into 74 more deaths. In total, maternal mortality in the region has increased by about 61%, well above the national target of 125 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Dr. Adomako-Boateng further revealed that the proportion of deliveries attended by trained health workers remains below target.
In 2023, it stood at 59%, dropped to 52.5% in 2024, and slightly improved to 53.7% in the first half of 2025 against a national target of 65%.
He linked the worrying trend to persistent weaknesses in Ghana’s three-tier Primary Health Care (PHC) structure. This system—comprising community (CHPS zones), sub-district (health centres), and district hospitals—is expected to address over 80% of the population’s health needs.
However, he observed that many minor illnesses are still referred to secondary and tertiary facilities, overburdening them and affecting service delivery.
“Looking at the maturity of Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) in the region, the proportion of functional CHPS was 62% in 2023, 81% in 2024, and 70.5% in the first half of 2025 against a target of 80%,” he explained.
According to him, Ghana cannot meet its health goals by 2030 without fixing these structural gaps. “Without a proper gatekeeper system and filters, well-resourced CHPS and health centres, our quest for universal coverage through PHC will remain a mirage.
“Stakeholders must support with accommodation, security, equipment and accountability to make this work.”
Despite the rise in maternal mortality, the director highlighted some successes. He noted that the institutional malaria case fatality rate for children under five has remained consistently at 0% for the first halves of 2023, 2024, and 2025.
He also indicated that PHC facilities have helped keep non-communicable diseases relatively under control. The incidence of diabetes (using OPD attendance as a proxy) stayed below 1% to 0.7% in 2023, 0.9% in 2024, and 0.7% in 2025—compared to a target of 1–5%.
Hypertension rates were also stable: 1.9% in 2023, 2.1% in 2024, and 1.9% in 2025, against a target of 5–10%.
On logistics, Dr. Adomako-Boateng raised concerns about the state of the Regional Medical Store, built in 1978. “It is 47 years old now.
At the time, Ghana’s population was about 8.5 million and the Ashanti Region had only about 1.37 million people.
“Many of the hospitals we see today did not exist then. The warehouse as it stands now can no longer serve its purpose, we must expand and modernise the infrastructure,” he emphasised.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, acknowledged the strain on the hospital as a major referral point. He confirmed that the Ashanti Regional Health Director had engaged him on strategies to improve health outcomes, particularly maternal mortality.
Dr. Baidoo revealed that discussions are at an advanced stage for a mentorship and collaboration framework between KATH and the Ghana Health Service.
Under this arrangement, KATH will provide technical expertise, while GHS supports facilities at the district and sub-district levels.
“For example, if a health facility has an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) but lacks the personnel to manage it, KATH will deploy its experts to provide the needed support. We have agreed with the Regional Health Directorate that Komfo Anokye will step in to provide such services wherever expertise is needed,” he explained.
