Efforts to reduce maternal deaths and improve reproductive healthcare in Ghana have received a significant boost as Oxfam Ghana and its partners donated essential medical equipment, medicines, and supplies to eight health facilities across the country.
The donation, made under the Power to Choose (P2C) Project, includes delivery beds, oxygen cylinders, neonatal resuscitation equipment, blood pressure monitoring devices, weighing scales, medical theatre wear, essential medicines, and other critical healthcare supplies aimed at strengthening maternal, newborn, and reproductive health services.
The intervention comes at a time when maternal mortality remains a major public health challenge in Ghana, with healthcare stakeholders calling for sustained investment in life-saving equipment and quality healthcare services.
Speaking in an interview, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Systems Advisor at Oxfam Ghana, Ruby Sharifatu Braimah, said the donation forms part of efforts to support the World Health Organization’s target of ending preventable maternal deaths by 2030.
According to her, ensuring that health facilities are adequately equipped is critical to improving healthcare outcomes for pregnant women and newborns.
“The availability of the right equipment and medical supplies can make the difference between life and death during childbirth. This support is intended to strengthen health systems and improve access to quality maternal healthcare services,” she said.
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the project is providing healthcare commodities to facilities in Ashaiman, Kasoa, Ewim, Tanoso, Kajaji, Tatu, Savelugu, and Walewale.
The initiative is being implemented through Oxfam Ghana in collaboration with key civil society partners under the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Project.
Receiving the equipment on behalf of the Ashaiman Municipal Hospital, Medical Superintendent Dr. Mavis Amoako described the donation as timely and impactful.
She noted that the equipment would enhance service delivery at the hospital while complementing government’s Free Maternal Healthcare Initiative.
“This support will improve our capacity to provide quality care for pregnant women and newborns and contribute significantly to reducing maternal and neonatal deaths in the municipality,” Dr. Amoako stated.
The Power to Choose Project is a seven-year initiative implemented by Oxfam in partnership with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), WiLDAF Ghana, SEND Ghana, Norsaac, and PARDA, with funding from Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Quebec.
The project focuses on improving sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people, particularly adolescent girls and young women living in vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Through access to comprehensive sexuality education, quality healthcare services, and reproductive health information, the initiative has empowered thousands of young people to make informed decisions about their health and future.
As part of its sustainability and legacy strategy, the project is donating health equipment and essential medicines to youth-friendly health facilities to ensure that gains made over the years continue long after the project ends.
Project implementers say the intervention will leave a lasting impact by strengthening the capacity of health facilities to provide accessible, quality, and youth-responsive reproductive healthcare services for communities across Ghana.
