Deputy Minister for Health, Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu‑Danquah, has stepped up community engagement in the Northern Region as part of a nationwide campaign to reduce maternal mortality.

During a tour of the Yendi Municipality under the Maternal Mortality Action and Response Program (MMARP), Prof. Ayensu‑Danquah visited Adibo and Gbungbaliga where she inspected health facilities, met traditional leaders and held discussions with community members about gaps in maternal care.

The deputy minister paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Gbungbaliga Traditional Area, Naa Bapri Gbungbal‑Naa Abdallah Abudu Sulemana, toured the Adibo Health Centre and CHPS compound, and visited Yendi Municipal Hospital to assess service delivery and infrastructure needs.

She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to addressing priority local needs and said the Free Primary Health Care initiative will deploy community health professionals equipped with backpacks of essential supplies to make routine outreach visits to remote communities.

Prof. Ayensu‑Danquah also urged families to improve maternal and child nutrition by making better use of locally available foods, a measure she said would bolster health outcomes alongside improved clinical services.

The Paramount Chief welcomed the engagement and called for practical support, including more staff, facility expansion, accommodation for health workers, outreach transport, reliable drug supplies and power backup at the Adibo Health Centre and Gbungbaliga CHPS compound.

Officials say the MMARP tour aims to strengthen local ownership of maternal‑health interventions, improve early detection and referral of complications, and reduce preventable deaths through a mix of facility upgrades, community outreach and behaviour‑change measures.

By Blessed EDUAMOAH DADZIE