U/W Regional Health Directorate reviews performance of health sector
The Upper West Regional Directorate of health services has held its Regional Annual Health Performance Review Conference in Wa to examine last year’s performance of the health sector in the region.
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Held on the theme: “Improving New Born Care in the Upper West Region: Success, Challenges and the Way Forward", the meeting looked at the reported cases of maternal and infant mortality and progress being made to attain Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) four and five by the close of this year, reported cases of death due to rabies, cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) and yellow fever.
Maternal deaths
According to Dr Abdulai Adams Forgor, the Regional Director of Health Services, the region recorded 35 maternal deaths last year, which showed a decrease in the number of cases reported in the region by four, in 2013.
He also said 211 babies died in the region before the first month of their birth during 2014 as against 137 in 2013.
He said the Wa Municipality topped in both the lists of maternal and infant mortality followed by Jirapa, Lawra, Nandom, Wa West and East, Sissala West and East, Nadowli, Lambussie/Karni and Daffiama/Bussie/Issa districts with some of the cases unreported.
Most of the deaths, Dr Forgor said, were due to neonatal jaundice, umbilical cord sepsis, asphyxia and prematurity. He also mentioned others as inadequate number of critical staff, lack of some essential equipment, poor road network and socio-cultural practices of the people in the area.
Socio-cultural practices
He said because of the socio-cultural practices and beliefs of the people, women, after delivery did not bring their children out until the seventh day, adding that the babies were confined for that period, even if they were sick and require medical care.
Dr Forgor also said some pregnant women did not like attending antenatal clinic (ANC) with only 25,577 pregnant women, constituting 56 per cent of the number of pregnant women in the region last year, accessing ANC services, while 35 per cent of them who had normal delivery accessed postnatal care services during the period.
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“We shall not rest on our oars but strive to do better in the coming years until our resolve and conviction that every preventable maternal or child death must not be allowed to happen, is achieved," he said.
He expreessed regret that available medical report had indicated that all the six persons who were bitten by dogs in the region last year died from rabies, adding that there were enough vaccines available at the various Veterinary Services Departments for treatment so people who had decided to rear dogs as their pets should not wait for the mass vaccination period before vaccinating their dogs.
On cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM), he said the disease reared its ugly head with 192 cases, which resulted in 19 fatalities, adding that 36 cases of yellow fever were recorded with one death.
Role of stakeholders
He commended the various stakeholders, including Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for their collaboration over the period.
For his part, the Deputy UWR Minister, Dr Musheif Mohammed Alfa, expressed concern over the high rate of female genital mutilation (FGM), to the extent that parents carried their babies to neighbouring countries to undergo FGM.
He warned that it was a criminal offence and those caught would be prosecuted.