The Tema General Hospital (TGH) recorded seven maternal deaths in three months, from May to July this year. Annually, it records at least 28 to 32 maternal deaths (MD).

Hospital authorities say these deaths were caused by hemorrhage (blood loss), pregnancy induced hypertension and HIV/AIDs.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines maternal death as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to, or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.

The Head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of TGH, Dr. Sylvia Deganus said the underlying factor of most MD is ignorance and apathy by women and society in general.

She noted that most pregnant women ignore early warning signs because they lack information and adequate knowledge about danger signals during pregnancy and labour and so delay to seek care. Also, they do not prepare adequately for any emergency before, during and after delivery.

"If you lose blood continuously for two hours without being attended to, you will die. Therefore, if you are pregnant and you realize that your time is due you must prepare adequately."

Speaking at a public policy dialogue on maternal health at Tema, Dr. Deganus expressed concern that society still believes in the myth that when a woman develops swollen feet during pregnancy it is a sign that she will deliver a male child, although it is a negative medical condition.

The Ghana MDGs / Global Call to Action against Poverty Campaign (GCAP) hosted by the Christian Council of Ghana organized the policy dialogue to educate women and address the various challenges to reduce maternal mortality in Ghana.

Under the theme, "Improving Maternal Health in Ghana: The Case of Tema" the programme was also aimed at increasing the country's commitment to the MDGs, especially goal 4 and 5 (aims at reducing maternal mortality by 75 percent by the year 2015).

She was also not happy that some pregnant women refuse antenatal care and resort to prayer camps, only to come back to hospital in worse conditions, which often results in their death and that of the innocent baby.

"Doctors equally work under the direction of God, so women should not go and hide or stay at prayer camps and rush back to us when in critical condition. You can go through antenatal care and pray at the same time."

She stressed that pregnancy is a high risk and advised that they should be properly managed.

Studies show that 99 percent of all maternal deaths take place in the 49 poorest countries of the world, 34 of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In Africa, one in 16 women stand the risk of dying from pregnancy in their lifetime compared to one in 2,800 women in the developed world. In Ghana it is one in 35 women.

It is indeed a sad story when a pregnant woman preparing to welcome her baby in her arms dies at birth, most of the time not seeing the face of the baby.

Causes of maternal deaths in Ghana include bleeding (17%), hypertension (19%), anaemia (12%), unsafe abortion (11%), infections (10%), obstructed labour (7%) and other causes (24%).

A Senior Nursing Officer at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Mrs. Sylvia Acheampong said the loss of human resource and increased incidence of street children are some effects of maternal mortality.

"The loss of productivity due to maternal deaths is high. The death of a woman and a mother is a tragic loss to the family, community and nation as a whole, so it should be a concern for all," she lamented.

She cited the low economic status of women and insufficient data on maternal mortality as some challenges to maternal health.

"Some women still hold on to traditional beliefs and tend to think that they can deliver on their own and not go to hospital."

She stated that increase in access to health care facilities, increase in family planning services, regular auditing and prompt action, good communication network and adequate skilled attendants are some interventions that can help reduce maternal mortality.

"There should be a national policy to support professional midwifery, advocacy should be sustained and regular monitoring and evaluation of maternal health programmes."

She urged women to take advantage of free maternal health services and the National Health Insurance Scheme to receive quality and timely antenatal, post natal and delivery services, including all emergencies arising out from delivery.