Between 2015 and 2017, the Upper East Region recorded a total of 110 maternal deaths while neonatal death rate increased from 2.0 in 2016 to 7.7 per 1000 live births in 2017; the Regional Director of Ghana Health Service, Dr. Winfred Ofosu, has revealed.
Speaking at the 2017 health service annual performance review conference of the Upper East Region in Bolgatanga last Wednesday, the regional director gave the breakdown of maternal deaths as 30 in 2015, 36 in 2016 and 44 in 2017 translating into 129.5/1000,000 Live Births.
Dr. Ofosu also revealed that the region continues to record high adolescent pregnancies and in 2017, a total of 16.5% of pregnancies were adolescents aged 10 to 19 years.
He attributed these terrible records to challenges such as inadequate numbers of critical staff such as medical doctors which he said doctor population ratio currently stands at 1 doctor per 93,590 people compared to 1 doctor to 20, 004 persons in 2015. Inadequate and weak means of transport especially at the district and sub-district levels, delayed re-imbursement of the National Health Insurance Authority’s claims, leadership challenges at the district and sub-district levels, incomplete documentation of activities, infrastructure as well as indiscipline among some staff are all challenges affecting performance.
Touching on some successes chalked in the year under review, Dr. Ofosu said stillbirth rate declined from 1.6 in 2016 to 1.3 per 1000 Live Birth in 2017. He also announced that the region made progress on malaria control as suspected malaria cases tested before treatment increased from 86.4% in 2016 to 93.8% in 2017. Additionally, malaria case fatality rate for children under 5 years declined consistently from 0.7% in 2015 to 0.52% in 2016 and 0.3% in 2017.
On meningitis cases, the director said a total of 144 cases were recorded in 2017, of which 44 cases were confirmed – 31 cases of Nm W, 12 cases of Streptococus pneumoniae and 1 case of Haemophililus.
Dr. Ofosu further revealed the coverage for immunization declined over the last three years with 87.2% in 2015, 79.2% in 2016 and 78.7% in 2017. He said the district coverage for immunization in 2017 ranged from only 53.3% in Kasena-Nankana Municipality to 107% in Pusiga district.
He, therefore, warned that if remedial actions are not taken swiftly to vaccinate all eligible children, accumulation of unvaccinated children over the years will constitute a huge susceptible population for epidemics of vaccine preventable diseases.
The review conference was on the theme: ‘Building sustainable partnerships for strengthening health systems to achieve universal health coverage’. A holistic assessment of the year under review was conducted by a five-member team from the Brong Ahafo regional health directorate which also presented its findings.
Source:TopNewsGhana.com
