Campaign launched to create public awareness on preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy-related condition marked by high blood pressure, kidney damage, protein in the urine and other problems. It commonly develops during the last trimester but it can happen any time in the second half of pregnancy, during labour or even up to six weeks after delivery.
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Many women suffering from preeclampsia don’t feel sick and may be surprised or become frustrated when they are admitted to the hospital or given bed rest since many of the signs are silent, while some symptoms resemble “normal” effects of pregnancy on the body
It can become severe very quickly or progress slowly and if left untreated, can lead to dangerous health problems for a pregnant woman and her baby. In rare situations, preeclampsia can lead to seizures, a condition called eclampsia, which can be life-threatening for both mother and child.
Symptoms
Common symptoms associated with preeclampsia are swelling of the hands, face or eyes, sudden weight gain over one to two days, permanent headache, difficulty in breathing, belly pain on the right side and below the ribs.
Pain may also be felt in the right shoulder and could be confused with heartburns, gall bladder pain, a stomach virus or kicking by the baby, decreased urine output, not urinating very often, nausea and vomiting, vision changes, including temporary blindness, seeing flashing lights or spots, sensitivity to light and blurry vision.
This year’s celebration of the World Preeclampsia Day on Monday, May 22, on the theme: “Be prepared before lightning strikes,” was marked with the launch of a five-year Ghana Action on Preeclampsia Campaign (GHAPEC) in Accra aimed at creating public awareness of preeclampsia.
The National Campaign Coordinator, GHAPEC, Mrs Dorothea Obiri, who lost two sons due to preeclampsia, highlighted extensively the signs, causes, symptoms, risk factors, treatment and prevention, and indicated that preeclampsia was a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death, resulting in 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infants’ death globally, every year.
She said the exact cause of preeclampsia was not known, however, there were certain factors that could increase a person’s risk of developing preeclampsia, citing autoimmune disorders, blood vessel problems, dietary, as well as generic factors as some of the factors.
She said the disease occurred in about three to seven per cent of all pregnancies, and called for intensive education to help reduce the death rate of mothers and babies.
She therefore urged stakeholders, individuals, the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to assist in creating awareness of the deadly disease for the safety of mothers and their babies.
Collective responsibility
The Director General, Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Mokowa Adu-Gyamfi, said for Ghana to contribute positively to the awareness creation programme, teenage girls should be educated, heathcare facilities should be made easily accessible in rural areas with the needed physical and human resources and midwives and doctors should be educated on the signs and symptoms, adding that: “Health institutions should be funded across the country to conduct survey on preeclampsia.”
She advised pregnant women to ensure they visited the hospital regularly for medical check-up to prevent complications that might result during delivery.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Order (CENCORD), Mr Solomon Osei Fosu, said a lot of women and their babies died from preeclampsia due to ignorance, pointing out that it was necessary to provide adequate support and education to women on the disease which was a deadly pregnancy hypertension-induced disease.
“Women, babies or both ought not to die during pregnancy,” he said and expressed the hope that the GHAPEC project would make an impact.