The queen mothers in a group photograph with the first lady after their meeting
The Queen Mothers Association of the Ashanti Region has paid a courtesy call on First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo at her Ridge office to show appreciation for her efforts in maternal and child health in the region.
The queen mothers, numbering over 20, said the first lady’s initiatives like the reduction of malaria among infants and pregnant women and the ‘save a child, save a mother’ campaign, which had yielded over GH¢ 6m for the reconstruction of the new mother and baby unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, are laudable.
The women also sought the first lady’s support in addressing some of the challenges faced by women and children in the Ashanti Region.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the president of the association, Nana Agyakoma Difie, paramount queen mother of Mampong, expressed their confidence that the facility would help save and alleviate the suffering of countless mothers and their children.
She further said the primary responsibility of queen mothers is to seek the welfare of their people, especially women and children, against diseases like malaria, adding that the first lady’s solid support in such areas across the country have benefited many and as queen mothers, they will remember her for years to come.
Mrs Akufo-Addo, in addressing the queens, commended them for their various initiatives and also urged them to persist in their quest to helping improve the lives of their people.
She said that as a mother and advocate, she knows the dangers posed by malaria to women, children and the country as a whole, therefore, she will continuously liaise with the appropriate institutions to ensure their concerns of the queen mothers are resolved.
Mrs Akufo-Addo added that government was working relentlessly to improve the living conditions of all Ghanaians, indicating that government would continue to do so until all citizens enjoy the benefits of Akufo-Addo’s good governance.
In attendance with the first lady were S.K Boafo, former Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs, Paul Essien, Deputy Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs and Stephen Amoah, CEO of MASLOC.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri