Ghana launches plan to reduce maternal deaths
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Ghana began the PRIMER initiative on September 14 in Accra, a five-year program designed to lower preventable deaths of mothers and newborns.
Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang introduced the program as a response to problems extending beyond healthcare facilities themselves. PRIMER will focus on improving emergency transfers, transportation, staffing, access to blood and medicine, equipment, data collection, and coordination between institutions. Recent data from the United Nations Population Fund reveals the scale of the challenge.
Ghana’s maternal mortality rate decreased from 310 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 301 in 2022. However, the organization estimates that 2,766 women die annually from pregnancy-related causes, and preliminary data from the Ghana Health Service recorded nearly 900 maternal deaths between January and November 2025. PRIMER will operate through three main strategies: political and social mobilization, data-driven accountability, and sustainable national funding supplemented by external support.
The program also intends to strengthen monitoring of maternal and perinatal deaths, and conduct regular reviews of outcomes. A key focus will be speeding up transfers to facilities equipped to handle obstetric emergencies, addressing issues with transportation, communication, water, and energy access that can delay care. The United Nations Population Fund reports that fewer than 5% of obstetric and neonatal emergency care facilities in Ghana currently meet required standards.
PRIMER aims to work within existing institutions to improve access to blood, medication, essential equipment, and patient referral systems.
