Dr. Edward Antwi, the Programme Manager for Newborn and Child Health of the health service said the figure could be more, given that some of the cases that occurred in home deliveries and outside recognised health facilities might not have been captured in the data.
He said "In Ghana, on average, one million babies are born every year, and with the current neonatal mortality rate of 17 per 1,000 live births, it means for every one million births, about 170,000 are dying, and out of this, 30 percent are dying from birth asphyxia."
Speaking at a conference on the theme: "Imagine Ghana without Birth", to discuss the impact of neonatal deaths on families and the role of leadership in newborn care, Dr. Antwi said we have, about 30 percent of all babies in Ghana die from birth asphyxia.
Birth asphyxia is a condition in which a baby does not receive enough oxygen before, during, or directly after birth.
In severe cases, it can cause serious complications and even be life-threatening. Immediate treatment is necessary to ensure that the baby receives enough oxygen.