• Ghana recorded 986 maternal deaths in 2024, with a ratio of 235 deaths per 100,000 live births.

• Nigeria and several other African countries have some of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates.

• Ghana remains above the SDG target of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Ghana is also facing a significant burden, with 986 maternal deaths recorded in 2024, according to Deputy Minister for Health Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah.

Speaking during a Maternal Mortality Action and Response Programme tour of health facilities in the Greater Accra Region on Thursday, August 6, Dr Ayensu-Danquah said Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio stood at 235 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024.

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“In 2024, 986 pregnant women died,” she said, describing the figure as a major concern and stressing the need for stronger efforts to prevent avoidable deaths during pregnancy and childbirth.

Although Ghana is not among the African countries with the highest maternal mortality ratios, its figure remains above the global average and significantly higher than the Sustainable Development Goal target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

This raises an important question: how does Ghana compare with other African countries?

Using the latest data published by World Population Review, this article ranks the ten African countries with the highest maternal mortality rates and examines Ghana’s position in the wider continental picture.

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The latest ranking shows that maternal mortality remains particularly severe in several African countries, with the highest rates concentrated in nations facing major healthcare, economic and social challenges.

Nigeria records the highest maternal mortality rate among African countries in the dataset and is also among the countries with the highest rates globally. Other countries near the top of the African ranking include Chad, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone.

The figures highlight the significant differences in maternal healthcare outcomes across the continent, while also showing that the burden is not limited to a small number of countries.

Several other African nations outside the top ten also record maternal mortality rates that remain substantially higher than the global average, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing health systems across the region.

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Ghana does not feature among the ten African countries with the highest maternal mortality rates in the World Population Review ranking.

However, the country’s maternal mortality rate remains a concern when compared with global health targets.

The figure reported by World Population Review places Ghana’s maternal mortality rate at a level significantly above the Sustainable Development Goal target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

This is broadly consistent with the 235 deaths per 100,000 live births recorded in Ghana in 2024, as disclosed by Dr Ayensu-Danquah.

The latest national figure also reinforces the need for continued investment in maternal healthcare, particularly in the early identification of high-risk pregnancies and access to emergency obstetric services.

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Countries with the highest maternal mortality rates generally face a combination of challenges, including inadequate healthcare infrastructure, shortages of skilled health professionals, limited access to emergency obstetric care and insufficient healthcare financing.

In some countries, conflict and political instability further worsen the situation by damaging health facilities, disrupting medical services and making it difficult for pregnant women to access timely care.

Distance and poor transport infrastructure can also delay referrals, particularly for women in rural and underserved communities.

By contrast, countries with lower maternal mortality rates generally have stronger primary healthcare systems, better access to skilled birth attendants and more reliable emergency maternal and newborn services.

The table below provides the full ranking of the ten African countries with the highest maternal mortality figures, offering a clearer picture of where the burden is greatest and how Ghana compares with other countries on the continent.

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