WHO’s RMNCAH programme provides technical support to the Ministry of Health for planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health programmes in the country. The program also works on promoting healthy and active ageing thus, promoting health through the life course. It collaborates with partners within the UN system, bi-lateral and multilateral agencies and Professional bodies (Obstetrician/Gynaecologists, Paediatricians and Midwives) for a coordinated approach to RMNCAH activities.
Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio is currently 319 per 100,000 live births and the Neonatal mortality rate is 29 per 1000 live births. At the current rate, neonatal mortality make up 71% of infant mortality and 48% of under-five mortality. Inadequate access to quality skilled delivery, emergency obstetric and newborn care and family planning has been identified as some contributing factors and so these are the intervention areas the programme is focusing on. WHO’s RMNCAH program is working to improve access to, coverage and quality of health services for women, newborns, children and adolescents along the continuum of care.
The main focus areas are thus:
• Sexual and Reproductive Health
• Maternal and Newborn health
• Child and Adolescent health
• Ageing and health
• Gender, equity and human rights
WHO supports the Ghana MDG Acceleration Framework (MAF) and its unfinished agenda. This is Ghana’s Action Plan to redouble efforts to overcome bottlenecks in implementing evidence-based, feasible and cost-effective interventions that have proven to work in reducing maternal mortality. In this era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the program will continue to support the achievement of the health related goals by supporting country adoption and adaptation of various WHO guidelines and strategies for implementation.
No woman should loss her life while giving life and every baby born should survive, thrive and go through the life course to reach their full potential and age with dignity
WHO RMNCAH resources can be accessed at: https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/en/
Key RMNCAH Indicators
| Antenatal clinic attendance(at least 1 visit) |
97.3% |
| Antenatal clinic attendance(at least 4 visits) |
87.3% |
| Skill Delivery |
74.0% |
| Neonatal Tetanus Prevention |
78.0% |
| Neonatal Mortality rate |
29 / 1000 Live births |
| Infant Mortality rate |
41 / 1000 Live births |
| Under 5 Mortality |
60 / 1000 Live births |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio |
319/ 100000 Live births |
| Contraceptive prevalence rate |
22.2% |
| Unmet need for family planning |
29.9% |
| Adolescent pregnancy rate |
14.0% |
UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group (2015); Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (2014)
For more information please contact:
Dr Roseline Dansowaa Do, Program Officer
Email: doer [at] who.int (doer[at]who[dot]int)
