The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has received a briefing from the Deputy Minister for Health, Hon. Dr. Grace Ayensu‑Danquah, on progress made under the Maternal Mortality Action and Response Programme (MMARP), a Ministry of Health initiative aimed at accelerating efforts to prevent avoidable maternal deaths in Ghana.
The engagement provided an opportunity for the Deputy Minister to share updates on MMARP’s interventions and highlight areas requiring stronger cross‑sector collaboration to improve maternal health outcomes. Discussions focused on persistent challenges in maternal healthcare delivery, including gaps in referral systems, limited capacity of health facilities to identify and manage high‑risk pregnancies early, and delays in emergency response and access to timely care.
Both Ministries underscored the importance of tackling community and social factors that influence maternal health. Hon. Dr. Lartey welcomed the engagement, stressing that the social and economic circumstances of women and girls often determine their ability to access timely healthcare. She pledged her Ministry’s readiness to support efforts that strengthen community awareness, empower women, and involve families, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders in promoting maternal health.
The two Ministries agreed on the need for continued collaboration to address the social dimensions of maternal health and ensure interventions reach women and girls at the community level.
Further engagements under MMARP have included interactions with health authorities, traditional leaders, communities, and frontline health workers to better understand the factors contributing to maternal deaths and identify practical solutions. The programme has also placed emphasis on strengthening referral pathways and addressing community‑level barriers that delay access to appropriate maternal healthcare.
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