The maternal health survey, which is the second of its kind, would be conducted within 120 days from June 15 to October 12, 2017.

It would be conducted in 900 communities across the country out of which a total of 27,000 households would be engaged for questioning and interviews.

The last time a maternal health survey was conducted in Ghana was in 2007, which indicated that 14 per cent of female deaths were maternal related out of which 11 per cent was abortion related, contributing to a maternal mortality ratio of about 580 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Mr Baah Wadieh, acting Government Statistician, who launched the survey said this year’s GMHS had been planned within the scope of the Millennium Accelerated Framework (MAF) operational plan to evaluate Ghana’s progress towards the attainment of the MAFs objectives and a broader national maternal and reproductive health goal.

“The study is expected to determine the burden of maternal mortality and morbidity at the national, coastal, middle and northern levels, taking into consideration the urban and rural differentials,” he said.

He was positive that the survey would generate relevant information for strategic and operational planning of the post 2015 maternal, reproductive and neonatal health programming.

Mr Wadieh said that the survey would be conducted and implemented by the Ghana Statistical Service, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service with funding and technical assistance from the ICF International, European Union (EU), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The survey, according to him, would help identify the causes of maternal and non-maternal deaths, specifically abortion related deaths among adult women.

The acting Statistician said that about 113 researchers comprising 106 interviewers  and 27 supervisors had been  trained to collect relevant information through interviews and questionnaires some of which has been translated into Akan, Ga and Ewe languages.

Mr Wadieh said that the key indicator of the survey, which is expected to be completed in October 2017, would be released at the end of January next year, and the final report would be published and disseminated on September 6,^, 2017.

He appealed to all households and communities that would be visited to provide researchers the needed cooperate to effectively discharge their duties.

From Linda Naa Deide Aryeetey, Winneba