Let’s improve well-being, dignity of motherhood
Yesterday, Ghanaians joined in the global celebration of Mother’s Day, extolling the virtues of motherhood, sending warmth greetings and gratitude to mothers for their reproductive roles and procreation, unconditional love and sacrifice in family upbringing and nation building.
Indeed, May 11 has been dedicated to honour Mothers and Motherhood though others celebrate the occasion on different days in many parts of the globe. Be as it may, honouring mothers reminds us of the need to cherish and appreciate the selfless care and nurturing spirit that they bring to our lives, especially in the formative period.
Undeniably, our mothers are our first mentors, guide, teachers, role-models and they constitute a reservoir of wisdom, knowledge and in our time of distress we consult them for advice, to enable us to navigate safely through life challenging situations.
Indeed, the role of women as epitome of wisdom in arbitration is encapsulated succinctly in the Akan maxim ‘Abrewa Ka nukuare,’ to wit old lady tells the truth.
Traditionally, as a day of expressing unlimited gratitude, thanks and praises, people mark the occasion by offering the best of gifts to their mothers, heartfelt messages and spending quality time with them.
We, at The Ghanaian Times deeply appreciate the celebration of motherhood, to accord women the recognition for their sacrifices that have brought progress to individuals, families and the nation as a whole.
Mothers, whether biological, adoptive or foster, play pivotal role by serving not only as caregivers, but contribute to the well-being, peace, security and stability of the family, as well as community and society.
Former President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, had this to say about mothers “The mother is the one supreme asset of national life; she is more important by far than the successful statesman or businessman or artist or scientist.”
We believe the celebration must go beyond the funfair, and ensure strict enforcement of legislations and policies aimed at protecting and improving the lives and dignity of our mothers.
According to an abstract from a paper “Women and Family Health: The Role of Mothers in promoting Family, and Child Health”, published in an international journal, women’s role within the families have positioned them to become health managers or promoters of overall family health, particularly for children in developing countries, whose lives are directly linked to that of their mothers.
Consequently, the authors propose that efforts to improve the health of children should focus on the family unit as a whole, with particular attention on mother or mother figures of the family.
Again, we at The Ghanaian Times are inspired by the position of the authors of the article, and wish to add our voices to the government through its agency, including the Ghana Health Service (GHS), to improve service delivery in order to enhance the quality of life of mothers.
Despite a lot of interventions to improve maternal healthcare, maternal mortality rate in Ghana is high. The 2024 Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio was estimated at 240 deaths per 100,000 live births, which fell short of the target 125 deaths per 100,000 live births.
The Sustainable Development Goals target for global maternal mortality ratio is less than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
This is a challenge to the GHS to step up efforts in improving Universal Health Coverage, addressing issues of lack of skilled birth attendants, especially in rural under-served communities and unsafe abortion, to improve mother care.
The Ghanaian Times believes that as we celebrate our mothers, we have to all pause and ponder on how to eliminate the challenges they face, particularly those living in abject poverty, struggling with access to resources and healthcare, and facing social inequalities.
This is the surest way we can be assured of the continuous fostering hands, wise counsel, and unreserved love and support of mothers as the basis of the family and society.
