Guinea worm cases reduce in B/A
Region
Sunyani, Feb.20, GNA- Brong-Ahafo Region recorded a
reduction in guinea worm infections in 2006 with 204
cases as against 293 in 2005.
The disease, which has gained a high prevalent rate in
the country and in the Sub-Saharan Region, recently
attracted the condemnation of Former U.S. President Mr
Jimmy Carter when he visited Ghana.
The disease is said to be on the increase in Atebubu/Amatin,
Pru, Sene, Kintampo South, Kintampo North and Nkoranza
districts of the region.
This was made known by Alhaj Dr. Mohammed Bin Ibrahim,
Brong- Ahafo Regional Director of Health Services during
the Ghana Health Service Annual Performance Review
Meeting in Sunyani.
The meeting was under the theme: "Strengthening
Community Health Services in Brong-Ahafo".
Alhaj Dr. Mohammed Bin Ibrahim called for the filtration
of drinking water, to remove water bodies, as well as
the provision of potable water in these districts to
help bring down the number of Guinea worm cases.
The 3-day review meeting for the year 2006 would among
other things serve as a mechanism for peer review and an
opportunity to engage other stakeholders in stocktaking,
sharing experiences and best practices and plan for the
year 2007.
He said the doctor-population ratio in the region is 1
to 31, 000, while that of nurses is 1 to 1,700 and that
many of the health staff are advanced in age and will
soon retire from service.
The region, he said, was able to chalk some successes in
the area of reproductive health despite the persistence
of other challenges such as inadequate staff and
irregular flow of funds for health service delivery, the
lack of offices and residential accommodation.
Dr Ibrahim said the strengthening of the six newly
created districts would help in the eradicating of
Guinea worm and polio.
"Postnatal care decreased from 57 per cent in 2005 to 53
per cent in 2006, adding that there were 119 maternal
deaths as against 95 deaths in 2005.
On HIV/AIDS, he said the prevalence rate decreased from
4.5 per cent in 2004 to 3.3 per cent in 2005 and was
hopeful that it will further drop in 2006.
He said a total of 213 people living with HIV/AIDS have
received antiretroviral treatment at the regional
hospital as at the end of last year, while a total of
4,600 pregnant women were counselled on the prevention
of mother to child transmission of HIV.
" Out of the 4,000 women who were tested for HIV, 180
were HIV positive", he added.
He said the Goaso, Techiman Holy Family, Dormaa Presby
and the Wenchi Methodist Hospitals have all taken
delivery of one CD4 Count Machine to monitor the health
of people living with HIV/AIDS, adding, that these
hospitals would soon start treating people living with
the pandemic with antiretroviral drugs.
Dr Ibrahim said the percentage of the population covered
by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the
region increased from 27 per cent in 2005 to 40 per cent
in 2006, making Brong-Ahafo the region with the highest
population coverage in health insurance.
Mr. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Brong-Ahafo Regional
Minister appealed to health workers in the region to
rescind their decision on a purported move to embark on
an industrial action, since government was taking steps
to improve on their conditions of service.
He called on them to think about the health of the
people first before embarking on such an action since
the wealth of every nation depended on the health of its
citizens, and seek the appropriate channels for
addressing their grievances.
The Regional Minister urged the sector ministry to
ensure that the guinea worm disease is eradicated by the
end of the year, and that of HIV/AIDS, reduced to the
barest minimum.
He entreated the regional and district health
directorate to involve the communities in the planning
and implementation of health policies to ensure
effective participation in health delivery.
GNA
