The maternal mortality rate in the Western Region increased from 75 per cent in 2015 to 92 per cent in 2016, due mainly to pregnancy-related complications including post-partum haemorrhage (excessive bleeding), hypertension and unsafe abortion.
Consequently, the regional health directorate has met with stakeholders to discuss the high incidence of maternal deaths in the region and to adopt strategies to reduce the high rate of both maternal and newborn deaths.
Review meeting/ theme
The Western Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang, who announced this at the 2016 Regional Health Performance Review Meeting in Takoradi last Wednesday, however, said there was an improvement in supervised delivery and family planning coverage.
The theme for the two-day workshop was: “Accelerating Reduction of Maternal and Newborn Mortality through Improving Quality of Care.”
Dr Tinkorang also said the region performed well in the tuberculosis (TB) control programme, with the TB cure rate improving from 65 per cent in 2014 to 85 per cent in 2015, while the treatment success rate increased from 89 per cent in 2014 to 91 per cent in 2015.
Tarkwa-Nsuaem
Dr Tinkorang specifically singled out the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Directorate for performing so well in TB control activities during the year under review.
He added that the region would focus on the screening of clients at the out-patient department (OPD) and antenatal care (ANC) clinics, and stressed that there was the need to improve the detection of TB cases.
Dr Tinkorang also disclosed that the region consistently performed very well in all disease surveillance indicators, and that during the year under review, it reported 87 acute flaccid paralysis (AFPs), 164 suspected measles, 145 suspected yellow fever and 44 guinea worm rumour, with every district reporting at least one case of AFP.
HIV prevalence rate
The regional director further indicated that the HIV prevalence rate in the region reduced to 2.0 per cent from the previous 2.4 per cent, while the region planned to implement the “Treat All” policy with a target to identify 90 per cent of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and put 90 per cent on treatment, while 90 per cent of those treated would have viral suppression.
According to Dr Tinkorang, the policy called for adequate supply of logistics, as well as sustainable provision of drugs and diagnostics, and thanked the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for their support so far.
Challenging period
He admitted that 2016 was one of the most challenging periods in the health system in the region, saying for instance that funding for health services was inadequate due to delayed disbursement from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
In a speech read on his behalf, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, indicated that to ensure quality and timely management of clinical emergencies, the service shall accelerate the training of emergency medical teams in all hospitals.
He also said the service would support and promote local initiatives to expand community emergency transport system for pregnant women and children, among other interventions.
The Chief of Essipon, Nana Kofi Abuna V, who chaired the function, urged the regional health directorate to intensify its efforts to reduce maternal and prenatal mortality in the region.
“We need to introduce new strategies that will promote the survival of pregnant women, newborns, children and adolescents in the region,” he stressed.
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