It observed that ignorance and illiteracy were major barriers to accessing quality health care in rural Ghana, as many people, even though are aware of the primary health care services available to them during pregnancy, do not see the need to attend anti-natal and post-natal clinics.

“Sadly, some with pregnancy or birth complications are unable to discover until it is too late, resulting in tragic mortality,” YoRI said in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Mr David K. Awusi.

Last year, Ghana’s maternal mortality rate, for instance, hovered around 310 per 100,000 live births, as against the World Health Organisation’s accepted standard of 70 per 100,000 live births.

While commending successive governments for the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) strategy, the NGO said weaknesses in the system must be urgently addressed to avoid missing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target on maternal and child mortality by 2030.

YoRI said it was working closely on a project with the Ekumfi District Health Directorate to sensitise rural communities on newborn, child and maternal health issues.

That project, dubbed: “Towards Achieving Zero Newborn and Maternal Mortality in Grassroots Communities,” is being funded from the Otter per Mille of the Waldensian Church of Italy.

“The goal of this project is to “educate and sensitise 10,000 community members and directly assist 90 pregnant women to deliver safely across eight endemic grassroots communities in Ghana by 2023,” the statement said.