The Central Regional Health Directorate in collaboration with the Afua Sarpong Foundation has launched the Regional 2021 World Pre-eclampsia day at Saltpond in the Mfantseman Municipality.

The launch aimed at increasing awareness and advocacy on preeclampsia among pregnant women and the general public was on the theme; “Stay Alert, Screen Early”.

Speaking at the opening of the programme, Mrs. Akosua Sarpong, Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) called for intensified education on pre-eclampsia and other conditions that led to unacceptable deaths among pregnant women.

She said an increased awareness and action on Pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy-related complication, would ensure that the issues on the condition were widely made known among the citizens as a critical topical health concern.

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure with signs of damage to organs, most often the liver and kidney.

The complication usually set in after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had previously been normal and symptoms include; stomach pain, nausea or throwing up, swelling in hands or face, severe headaches, seeing spots or other vision changes and shortness of breath.

Preeclampsia, however, sometimes develops without any symptoms but If left untreated, preeclampsia could lead to serious and even fatal complications for both the pregnant woman and her unborn baby.

Expressing concern about the condition, Mrs. Sarpong indicated that the Region had about 43 percent of maternal deaths relating to pre-eclampsia, which was one of the leading issues confronting pregnant women in the Region.

“Globally, “830 women die from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes each day while pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are the second cause of deaths after post-delivery bleeding in pregnant women".

The Regional Director expressed worry that while these deaths were preventable, many lives were being lost due to low awareness on the issue and urged pregnant women to take their antenatal care service seriously to avoid such circumstances.

Ms. Afua Sarpong, the Director of Afua Sarpong Foundation and a survivor of pre-eclampsia expressed the commitment of her Foundation to help Ghana end preventable maternal deaths.

She advised pregnant women to consistently seek ante-natal care and entreated health workers to intensify the education on pre-eclampsia and other conditions that led to the current avoidable rate of maternal deaths in Ghana.

Mrs. Justina Marigold Assan, Regional Minister said the day placed a duty on all to intensify efforts to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, by critically addressing both pre-eclampsia and eclampsia issues.

She also advised pregnant women and the public to seek medical attention and stop self-medication to help reduce maternal deaths as well as morbidity in the Region.