Residents of a farming community in the Nkoranza North District of the Bono East Region are living under conditions that directly reflect or con­note the name of the township, Nipahia­moa.

The name of the town, Nipahiamoa, when translated directly means ‘humans need help.’

Despite the contribution in ensuring there is sufficient food in not only the region but the country at large, Nipa­hiamoa lacks basic social amenities to make life enjoyable after their farming activities.

According to some of the members of the community that The Spectator spoke to during a visit to the area, they lacked basic needs such as potable water, health post, among others.

This, they claimed, was impacting negatively on their general wellbeing and appealed to authorities to come to their aid.

The Unit Committee chairman of Nipahiamoa, Mr James Najohnbo, told this paper on Thursday that successive governments have neglected the town over the years.

“It is the reason we are where we are today in this era of development. Some people poke fun that our condition is a reflection of the name of the town but I don’t believe that. We have been ne­glected by governments over the years. There are no government initiatives here,” he explained.

The community, inhabited by over one thousand people, mostly settlers, is lo­cated on the Techiman-Kintampo stretch of the Trans-ECOWAS highway which connect from Tema to Mali.

Mr Najohnbo, who conducted this re­porter around, revealed that a borehole constructed for the community by the former Member of Parliament for Nkoran­za North, Major Derrick Oduro, had since broke down, compelling the people to turn to the Bono manso waterfalls which they trek several kilometres for their source of water.

Mr Najohnbo stated that their children are not left out in this challenges as they had to trek to either Manso or Dweneho, about two kilometres to access health­care and education.

He added that a wooden structure con­structed in 1994 currently serves as the only primary school for the community.

“Our kids had to trek several kilome­tres to Manso to attend school which come at cost to most parents.”

A 30-year old hairdresser, Rebecca Dibenpong, also appealed to authori­ties to come up with income generating activities to boost economic lives of the people.

She alleged that politicians often claimed they don’t have enough numbers to attract development, hence such ini­tiatives were directed to bigger commu­nities.

Like the name suggest, Nipahiamoa, the community needs urgent attention to make life meaningful for the people who contribute to the national economy by way of their farming activities.

 From Daniel Dzirasah, Nipahiamoa

 The Ghana Health Service has revealed a staggering statistic of 1,000 women losing their lives during child­birth in the Ashanti Region between 2020 and 2024.

This alarming number, accord­ing to the Regional Health Direc­tor, Dr Frank Adomanko Boateng, highlights the persistent chal­lenge of maternal mortality in Ghana, despite efforts to im­prove maternal healthcare.

Dr Adomanko Boateng, there­fore emphasized on an urgent need for stronger interventions to curb the high rate of maternal deaths.

Speaking at the 2024 Regional Health Forum, he indicated that “Ghana is struggling to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing mater­nal mortality to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.”

Dr Boateng stressed that time was of the essence, saying, “The clock is ticking, and we must double our efforts.”

He called for intensified mea­sures over the next six years to bridge the gap and prevent further loss of lives.

Ghana’s maternal mortality ra­tio, he noted, has been declining from 760 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 310 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017.

However, “the country still faces significant challenges in reducing maternal mortality, particularly in regions like Ashan­ti.”

To address the issue, he said, Ghana has been working to improve maternal healthcare through various initiatives, in­cluding the Network for Improv­ing Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

The country aims to reduce maternal mortality by strength­ening healthcare systems, improving access to quality care, and enhancing community en­gagement

 From Kingsley E. Hope,

Kumasi