By Antoinette Abbah
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Dr Sennen Hounton, says Africa must increase local production of reproductive health commodities to reduce its dependence on imports and donor support.
He said African countries cannot achieve sustainable reproductive health outcomes if they continue to rely heavily on external partners for essential health commodities such as contraceptives.
He made the remarks when he interacted with the media in Ghana, where he called for stronger African-led solutions to address health challenges on the continent.“We cannot have serenity by extending our hand and asking others to use their taxpayers’ money to give us contraception. We must produce on this continent at scale.”
He said stronger collaboration among African countries is needed to establish manufacturing capacity for medical products rather than relying on countries outside the continent.
Dr. Hounton explained that access to reproductive health services is closely linked to maternal health outcomes, family planning and the well-being of women and girls.He said despite progress made, many women across Africa still lose their lives from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth.
According to him, maternal mortality persists not because of a lack of political will, but due to a combination of health system weaknesses and socio-economic challenges.“It is not the lack of will of governments. In fact, in many countries you will see governments even having presidential initiatives to address the issue. But there are a set of factors making it difficult.”
He noted that many women, especially those in rural communities, still struggle to access quality maternal healthcare because of inadequate health facilities and shortages of skilled midwives.
Dr. Hounton also identified child marriage and adolescent pregnancy as major contributors to maternal deaths, explaining that pregnancies among young girls carry higher risks.“You can put the best hospital out there, you can even put the midwives out there, but if the woman, the teenager, is still pregnant and cannot access those facilities, she will continue to experience maternal mortality.”
He said protecting girls must remain central to efforts to reduce maternal deaths by keeping them in school, preventing child marriage and ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health information and services.
The UNFPA Regional Director revealed that more than 30 per cent of maternal deaths in the region occur among adolescent girls, many of which are preventable. “You keep a girl in school, not married off, and give her access to information and services. She will not be pregnant; she will continue her education, achieve her full potential and be in charge of her health.”
Dr. Hounton called for increased domestic financing to recruit health workers, strengthen health systems and improve access to life-saving services.He also urged governments to strengthen accountability by regularly reviewing maternal health data to measure progress and identify communities being left behind.
On health equity, Dr. Hounton said governments must ensure that poor and vulnerable women are not excluded from healthcare because of financial barriers.“We need to identify the extreme poor, those who despite national insurance cannot pay the premium. If they are pregnant, we must find solutions, otherwise they will continue to drive the number of maternal deaths.”
He said the UNFPA is working with partners, including the African Development Bank, to develop financing mechanisms that will help countries invest more sustainably in health.
Dr. Hounton said achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require accelerated action and deliberate efforts to address inequalities.
He noted that improved population data, including modern census and geospatial information, will help governments identify underserved communities and direct resources to where they are needed most.
Dr. Hounton has been in Ghana since 21 July 2026, participating in a series of high-level engagements to advance Africa’s health agenda. His activities have included attending a two-day African Union health summit, meeting government officials and development partners, visiting the Special Adolescent and Family Planning Unit at Ussher Hospital, and promoting investment in reproductive health, family planning and youth empowerment.
