Deputy Health Minister Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah has called for increased investment in neonatal healthcare and sustained support for premature babies, warning that survival in the first days of life must not mark the end of care for children born too soon.
Speaking at the 3rd Purple for Prematurity Summit, she highlighted government interventions to reduce newborn deaths and urged stronger collaboration among government and health sector stakeholders to develop a national maternal and child health roadmap. The roadmap should guarantee quality care for every baby born too soon, too small or sick.
“Premature Babies Need Continuous Medical Attention, Regular Monitoring and Sustained Support to Achieve Healthy Growth and Development”
Deputy Health Minister Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah
Prof. Ayensu-Danquah explained that premature babies face a longer journey after birth, requiring specialised medical attention, continuous monitoring and support to achieve healthy growth and development.
The Deputy Minister maintained that healthcare services must account for the needs of these children beyond the initial emergency. This requires investment in neonatal care and stronger follow-up arrangements that can help identify concerns and support the development of premature babies.
Government interventions to reduce newborn deaths
At the summit, Prof. Ayensu-Danquah outlined government measures intended to improve maternal and newborn health, including the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response, known as PRIMER
She also pointed to expanded community-based newborn care services as part of efforts to reduce newborn deaths. These interventions, she indicated, form part of a broader response to the health needs of mothers and newborns, particularly those requiring timely and appropriate medical attention.
The Deputy Minister called for government and stakeholders across the health sector to work together on a national maternal and child health roadmap. Such collaboration, she stressed, is necessary to establish a coordinated approach that protects babies who arrive prematurely, are born too small or require medical care because they are sick.
AFPNC calls for National Action Plan on Prematurity
Founder of the African Foundation for Premature Babies and Children (AFPNC), Selma Bentoom, also called for a National Action Plan on Prematurity to strengthen the country’s response to the needs of babies born too soon.
She urged the government to integrate follow-up care for premature babies into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) benefit package, arguing that the support required by these children should continue after the immediate medical crisis has passed.
Bentoom further called for increased investment in neonatal healthcare, reinforcing the need to strengthen services for premature babies and improve the support available to their families.
Bentoom’s proposal to include follow-up care in the NHIS package raises the question of how families can access support after specialised treatment.
Her call for greater investment in neonatal healthcare complements that proposal by focusing on the services and resources needed to care for premature babies. Together, the recommendations place both service availability and continued access to care at the centre of the discussion.
The AFPNC founder stressed that saving a premature baby’s life must be followed by sustained care to give the child the best opportunity to thrive. Her position reflects the central concern raised at the summit: survival alone does not address every health and developmental need of a child born too early.
Calls for coordinated national response
The contributions from the Deputy Minister and the AFPNC founder placed renewed attention on the need for a comprehensive response to prematurity in Ghana. Both highlighted the importance of strengthening neonatal healthcare, while Prof. Ayensu-Danquah called for cooperation across the health sector and Bentoom advocated a dedicated national action plan.
“Every Baby Born Too Soon, Too Small or Sick Deserves Access to Quality Neonatal Healthcare and Continued Medical Support Beyond Birth”
Deputy Health Minister Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah
The call for a national roadmap also places responsibility on institutions beyond individual health facilities. Government agencies and health sector stakeholders would need to align their efforts around clear priorities for maternal and newborn care.
Prof. Ayensu-Danquah did not outline a timeline or specific components for the proposed roadmap but stressed the need for collaboration to guarantee quality services for babies born too soon, too small or sick. The appeal adds a national planning dimension to the interventions already highlighted at the summit.
For families of premature babies, access to specialised attention, monitoring and continued support can shape the care children receive as they grow. The appeal from the Deputy Minister and the AFPNC founder is therefore for a health system that measures progress not only by the number of newborns who survive, but also by the support available to help them develop.
Their message was clear: babies born too soon need more than the chance to survive. They need sustained, quality healthcare and coordinated support that gives them the opportunity to thrive over time.
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