Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete highlights high maternal mortality in Africa at AU Health Summit
via GhanaWeb6 min read
Former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, expressed concern over the high rate of maternal mortality in Africa during a keynote address at the High-Level Interactive Policy Dialogue in Accra. He noted that nearly 70% of the 260,000 global maternal deaths annually occur on the African continent, despite advancements in health technology. Kikwete attributed this to implementation failures rather than a lack of scientific knowledge. He cited Tanzania's success in reducing maternal deaths from 500 to 104 per 100,000 live births through proper implementation of solutions, nearing the SDG target of fewer than 70 by 2030. He also urged African nations to increase domestic financing for health needs, emphasizing that reliance on external aid is unsustainable, especially given the lessons from the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The dialogue, co-convened by the African Renaissance Trust and the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation, aimed to discuss sustainable health financing, accountability, and innovation, ahead of the AU Extraordinary Session on Health.
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Must ReadDeputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai has clarified that the conviction of Benard Antwi Bosiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party NPP, in an illegal mining case was based on his own statements, police records, and witness testimonies. Speaking on TV3 on July 22, 2026, Dr. Srem-Sai expressed surprise at claims that the conviction was politically motivated, noting that much of the evidence relied upon by the court came from the defense itself. He suggested that reactions labeling the case as political persecution were expected in politically charged situations. Chairman Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years in prison by an Accra High Court for illegal mining offenses involving Akonta Mining Limited. The court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, found him guilty on six counts, including assigning mineral rights without ministerial approval and facilitating mining operations without a license. He was also fined GH垄120,000, with a default sentence of three years' imprisonment. The NPP has announced its intention to appeal the ruling.
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Must ReadBernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party NPP, has been sentenced to 20 years in Nsawam Maximum Prison after being found guilty in one of several cases filed against him by the state. His conviction jeopardizes his ambition to become the National Chair of his party. Wontumi faces legal proceedings in three separate cases: illegal mining activities related to the Samreboi concession in the Tano Nimri Forest Reserve, which led to his conviction; a second case involving alleged illegal mining in the Tano Nimri Forest Reserve, where he is being investigated for undertaking mining operations without a license, pollution of water bodies, and entering a forest reserve without authorization; and a third case concerning an alleged fraud scheme against the Ghana Export-Import EXIM Bank, where he and two others are accused of defrauding the bank of approximately GH垄14.3 million to GH垄30 million. Wontumi's legal team has initiated a plea-bargaining process in the EXIM Bank case. Beyond these official charges, the article mentions past controversies involving Wontumi, including allegations against President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Professor Opoku-Agyemang, public displays of gold bars, flaunting an ultra-luxury mansion, a boastful bid to purchase Chelsea Football Club, and an alleged undue payment of GH垄50 million from the Ghana Cocoa Board COCOBOD to his company, Hallmark Civil Engineering.