
The Bono East Regional Health Directorate has revealed a deepening crisis in maternal healthcare, with nearly 75 percent of women in the Sene East District giving birth without the assistance of a trained professional. This alarming statistic was disclosed during the 2026 Mid-Year Performance Review, where health officials highlighted a massive disparity in childbirth survival rates across the region. While the regional average for skilled delivery stands at 67.6 percent, the rate in Sene East has plummeted to just 27.85 percent, raising urgent concerns about the safety of mothers and newborns in underserved communities.
The regional health director, Dr. Freeman Samani, attributed these life-threatening inequalities primarily to a chronic lack of healthcare infrastructure. Currently, four districts within the Bono East Region—including Sene East and Techiman North—operate without a dedicated district hospital. This absence of specialized facilities often forces expectant mothers to rely on unskilled birth attendants or undertake dangerous journeys to distant facilities, significantly increasing the risk of maternal and neonatal mortality. The disparity underscores a significant gap between urban centers and rural districts in the region's ability to provide life-saving obstetric care.
Dr. Samani emphasized that the national goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) remains unattainable as long as such significant regional inequalities persist. He called for an immediate and strategic expansion of quality primary healthcare and the urgent construction of hospitals in the affected districts to ensure equitable access for all residents. Until healthcare infrastructure is modernized and distributed fairly, officials warn that the region will continue to struggle with preventable deaths and the persistent failure to provide basic health security for its most vulnerable populations.