S/R: Pregnant Women dumps medical advice, go ahead to fast

Some pregnant Fulani women at Busunu in the West Gonja municipality of the Savannah Region are insisting on fasting against medical advice.

According to Mr Nuhu Kantamah Abdul Ganiyu; a Principal Physician Assistant, as well as a Monitoring and Evaluation expert, these pregnant women in the municipality are noted for having very low haemoglobin levels that require the intake of a well-balanced diet alongside hematinic to correct their anaemia status.

He said to add salt to injury, some of these women are rushed into the labour ward fasting and no amount of plea from the midwife would convince them to break their fast.

These practices in the month of fasting, he considered as a threat to the country’s quest for zero maternal death in the sub-municipality since mothers at the point of delivery might not have enough energy and strength to push for the baby to be delivered.

Mr Nuhu Kantamah Abdul Ganiyu made this disclosure speaking in an interview with Class 91.3 FM’s Zion Abdul Rauf in the Savanna Region.

”We are calling on all stakeholders especially the health workers and the Imams to assist in educating some of these pregnant women and their husbands against this practice,” he said.

He explained that maternal and child mortality is a public health threat globally.

He revealed that there were an estimated 830 maternal deaths each day in 2015.

“The majority (99%) of these deaths occur in rural communities of developing countries with more than half of the deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The ratio of maternal mortality in developing countries such as Ghana is 239 per 100,000 live births in 2015. (WHO, 2018),” he said.

“Fasting during the month of Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam which is obligatory for every adult Muslim except the sick, pregnant women, nursing mothers, women on their menses and the traveller,” he concluded.

Source: classfmonline