Malaria, leading cause of OPD cases among children in Ashanti

Malaria continues to be the leading cause of Outpatient Department (OPD) attendance, admission and death among children under five years, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health, Dr Alexis Nang-Beifubah, has announced.

Figures at the Ashanti regional office of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) show that the region recorded 992,187 cases of malaria in 2016, which showed a decline from data in previous years, where 1,036,761 and 1,123,366 cases were recorded in 2015 and 2014, respectively as OPD-confirmed malaria cases.

Speaking at the 2016 Annual Health Performance Review in Kumasi, Dr Nang-Beifubah said the GHS resorted to malaria control strategies over the period.

He listed malaria, upper respiratory tract infection, rheumatism and other joint disorders and diarrhoea as the top five diseases in the region.

Some of the control strategies he mentioned were health education and environmental sanitation, chemoprophylaxis for pregnant women, accurate and prompt treatment and research.

Epilepsy

Dr Nang-Beifubah indicated that mental health services were provided in 29 out of 30 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the region in 2016.

He added that 63 health facilities across the region provided mental health services; and that epilepsy was the leading cause of mental condition for OPD attendance.

He, however, said efforts were being made to control epilepsy and other mental conditions reported at the GHS in the region.

He mentioned that with the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) & HIV (though inadequate diagnostic centre and poor documentation remained an issue) in 2016, the service recorded a successful treatment rate of 87 per cent in the region, a little below the national average of 88 per cent.

Again, he said though stigma and TB & HIV co-infection remained a challenge, the GHS rolled out the "Treat All at all ART Sites" policy successfully.

He said cases of cholera reduced from 12 in 2015 to four in 2016, stressing that the reduction was due to the fact that no serious cholera outbreak was recorded.

Appeal and commendation

The regional director commended the GHS, the Ministry of Health, the Regional Co-ordinating Council, traditional and religious leaders, opinion leaders and community members for their immense support.

He also commended quasi-governmental, faith-based providers and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)-accredited facilities for their services.

He, however, appealed to all health stakeholders in the region to fully co-operate with the regional office of the GHS "as we work towards Universal Health Coverage" in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Three.