On Monday, September 14, 2026, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, launched the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response (PRIMER) in Accra. He warned that preventable maternal deaths must be treated as failures demanding learning, correction and immediate action.
Thompson said maternal survival reflects not only the quality of Ghana’s health system but also the nation’s commitment to women, families and future generations. He added that the country could no longer accept women dying from largely preventable causes linked to pregnancy and childbirth.
PRIMER is a response to Ghana’s persistently high maternal mortality rate and aims to provide sustained political attention, coordination and accountability across government, health facilities, communities, civil society, the private sector, traditional authorities and religious leaders. The initiative follows President John Dramani Mahama’s concerns over the country’s slow progress in reducing maternal deaths, highlighted during the 2025 Voluntary National Review Report on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Thompson stressed that reducing maternal deaths cannot be left to the health sector alone; the causes and consequences extend to public finance, transport, local government, social protection, education, infrastructure, community leadership and household decision‑making. He called for stronger accountability at every level, from central government to individual health facilities, and urged traditional and religious leaders to address misinformation, stigma and misconceptions that delay women’s access to professional care.
He said the success of PRIMER would depend on whether national commitments translate into budgets, plans result in timely implementation and institutions accept responsibility for outcomes. The initiative is positioned as part of Ghana’s broader development efforts, with maternal health central to building human capital and improving citizens’ quality of life.
UNFPA has similarly described maternal mortality in Ghana as a preventable systems failure requiring stronger accountability. Thompson declared the launch should mark the beginning of a disciplined, united and sustained national effort to ensure women do not lose their lives while giving birth.
