On Tuesday, MamaYe Ghana was officially launched at the International Conference Centre in Accra. The event bought together over 300 stakeholders in maternal and newborn health from all corners of Ghana, ranging from the caretaker Deputy Minister for Health to an eight-month pregnant mother with her firstborn in arms.
On Tuesday, MamaYe Ghana was officially launched at the International Conference Centre in Accra. The event bought together over 300 stakeholders in maternal and newborn health from all corners of Ghana, ranging from the caretaker Deputy Minister for Health to an eight- month pregnant mother with her firstborn in arms. The launch was not just to introduce MamaYe Ghana to the public and signal the beginning of campaign activities, but about creating a sense of ownership and solidarity in improving maternal and newborn health. The programme focused on the role that every person, no matter what their background, their profession, their gender or their interests, can and should feel connected to this important issue. A particular highlight of the day were two testimonials, one given by a mother who had almost lost her life giving birth, another by a taxi driver who has spent years conveying pregnant women to the hospital for free. These stories moved beyond the role of research, evidence and advocacy in maternal and newborn health, to humanize an issue which can sometimes seem beyond our control. As it was so poignantly put by the caretaker Deputy Minister of Health, Rojo Mettle-Nunno, "the future of Ghana lies in the bellies of our mothers. We must all play a part in protecting this". The programme also featured the debut performance of the MamaYe theme song, performed by local Ghanaian artist, ASEM. A spokesperson for the campaign, ASEM urged all Ghanaians to get involved in maternal and newborn survival by donating blood. He said there needed to be more effort to reduce stigma around the issue. The sense of solidarity in the room was certainly catching, with many of the guests pledging their support to the campaign and promising to spread the word of MamaYe. Indeed, the positive response on the facebook and twitter feeds since Tuesday has been tremendous. The MamaYe Ghana team would like to thank everyone involved in making the launch such a success.