The Greater Accra Region recorded 170 maternal deaths in 2023, with 20 percent attributed to eclampsia, Dr. Akosua Agyeiwaa Owusu-Sarpong, the Regional Director of Health Services, announced.
Eclampsia is a condition where one or more convulsions occur in a pregnant woman with high blood pressure, often leading to coma and posing serious health risks to both mother and baby. Pre-eclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in a woman whose blood pressure had previously been normal. It can lead to serious, potentially fatal complications for both mother and child.
Dr. Owusu-Sarpong spoke at the 2024 World Pre-Eclampsia Day event, organized by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) at the Shai-Osudoku District Hospital. She highlighted that the incidence of pre-eclampsia in Sub-Saharan Africa is 13 percent, making it one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in Ghana.
Dr. Owusu-Sarpong urged pregnant women to seek immediate help from health facilities rather than turning first to religious organizations. The event, chaired by Nana Ayerkie Yotsu III, the Queen Mother of Dodowa, aimed to raise awareness among pregnant women about the critical importance of timely treatment for pre-eclampsia and the role of religious organizations in supporting this effort.
The launch featured a role play and spoken word performance by the maternity and antenatal clinic (ANC) staff of the hospital, challenging pregnant women to heed healthcare providers’ advice and not view the disease as a spiritual attack. Speaking on the theme “Predict, Prevent, Prevail,” Dr. Owusu-Sarpong noted that pre-eclampsia could lead to severe maternal and fetal complications, including eclampsia, placental abruption, fetal growth restriction, and premature delivery, affecting three to five percent of pregnant women worldwide.
Dr. Kennedy Tetteh Coffee Brightson, the Medical Superintendent of Shai-Osudoku District Hospital, stated that since 2010, the facility had adopted a zero-tolerance policy for maternal mortality and had worked diligently to achieve this goal. He mentioned that pre-eclampsia was the leading complication of gestational hypertension and that the district had implemented a strategy of knowing the homes of pregnant women to ensure their safety.
“We have visited their homes, paid staff to check on them, and ensured they are taking their medications. The results we’re seeing today are due to the commitment of our team to ensuring the safety of pregnant women,” he said. He encouraged pregnant women to seek medical treatment instead of visiting prayer camps, emphasizing the importance of proper medical care for their well-being and that of their babies.
Dr. Frank Kwasi Nyabe, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the hospital, highlighted symptoms of pre-eclampsia, including severe headaches, convulsions, blurred vision, abdominal pain, and abnormal weight gain during pregnancy. He noted that those at risk include women with a history of the disease and those with multiple pregnancies, but emphasized that the disease could be well managed with early detection.