Ghana Risks Missing 2030 Maternal Health Targets Without Domestic Funding – Deputy Health Minister

Deputy Minister for Health, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has called for a dedicated budget allocation for maternal healthcare, warning that Ghana risks missing its 2030 maternal health targets without sustainable domestic funding.

She made the call when she appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, October 19, where she appealed to the committee to support a specific budget line for maternal health to help reduce preventable deaths.

Dr. Ayensu-Danquah cautioned that reliance on unsustainable sources of funding could undermine efforts to improve maternal health outcomes in the country.

“In fact, we need domestic funding to fund our maternal health. So we are pleading with your committee to actually give us a line item in the budget for maternal health. It is only when we have sustainable funding that is domestically funded that we can solve this problem. Otherwise, by 2030, we won’t meet any of these criteria,” she said.

She identified haemorrhage as the leading cause of maternal deaths in Ghana and stressed the need for greater focus on early detection and management of health risks during pregnancy, particularly anaemia.

According to her, detecting anaemia at the primary healthcare level would enable health workers to intervene before delivery and help reduce the risks associated with blood loss during childbirth.