KATH Records 30% Decline In Maternal Deaths For First Time In A Decade
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has reported a significant reduction in institutional maternal deaths, recording its first decline in the figure in 10 years.
The hospital recorded 55 maternal deaths from January to June 2026, compared with 78 deaths during the corresponding period in 2025. This represents a reduction of about 30%.
Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, described the decline as a major improvement, emphasising the need to prevent pregnancy-related deaths.
He disclosed the figures on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the opening of the hospital’s 2026 Mid-year Performance Review Conference in Kumasi.
Dr Baidoo attributed part of the improvement to the introduction of the hospital’s Maternal Intensive Care Unit, which is supported by specialists in anaesthesia and intensive care.
The unit has eight beds, although only four are currently in operation.
Dr Baidoo expressed confidence that the number of maternal deaths could reduce further when all eight beds become operational.
KATH has also intensified its partnership with the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service to support health facilities in the region through clinical mentorship and capacity building.
The collaboration is intended to improve clinical care and referral systems, particularly for women who require specialised maternal healthcare.
As a major referral facility, KATH receives patients with complicated cases from across the Ashanti Region and other parts of the country, a factor that has historically contributed to its high maternal mortality figures.
Dr Baidoo cautioned against interpreting the hospital’s maternal death figures as evidence of poor-quality care, pointing to the large patient population and the complexity of cases referred to the facility.
Meanwhile, KATH has completed construction and other works on its Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Centre, which is expected to begin operations this month.
Dr Baidoo said the centre would make KATH the first public health facility in Ghana to have a state-of-the-art specialist fertility centre.
The hospital’s main Dialysis Centre has also been refurbished and reopened to improve access to specialised dialysis treatment.
The centre currently has 13 operational dialysis machines, while additional machines are available at the Accident and Emergency Centre.
KATH also recorded an increase in several areas of service delivery during the first six months of 2026.
Specialist Out-Patient Department attendances reached 149,055 between January and June, surpassing the mid-year target of 139,740 and representing a 3.61 per cent increase over the same period in 2025.
Emergency attendance stood at 14,467, exceeding the target of 12,400. This amounted to a 116.67 per cent achievement and an 8.66 per cent increase compared with the previous year.
Laboratory services recorded 174,367 cases, surpassing the target of 160,401 with a 108.71 per cent achievement. The figure also marked a 26.49 per cent increase over the mid-year figure recorded in 2025.
Primary care attendance, however, was 37,500, slightly below the target of 37,900.
Despite the positive performance in several areas, Dr Baidoo acknowledged that the hospital still had some operational gaps to address.
He noted that deliveries, surgeries, physiotherapy, radiotherapy and some admission figures performed below their targets for the first half of the year.
KATH says it will prioritise these areas for improvement while working to maintain the progress made in maternal care and other specialised services.
