ISSER urged to engage health sector

Accra, Oct. 27, GNA - Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Former Director-General of Ghana Health Service on Thursday called on the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of University of Ghana to engage personnel in the health sector and other stakeholders to ensure effective inter-sectoral policy implementation.

He said problems facing the health sector could be addressed and =E2=80=9Cresearch findings conducted by Ghanaian researchers when implement= ed could have the problems fixed=E2=80=9D.

Prof Akosa made the call when addressing the closing session of a three-day International Conference on Health on the theme: E2=80=9CPlacing Health at the Centre of Development in Africa=E2=80=9D.

It was geared towards promoting an agenda of policy dialogue for the need to prioritise health care as a means of attaining development of the country. It was attended by about 100 participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America.

The conference provided opportunity for participants to refocus the attention of researchers, policy makers and civil society on the issue of repositioning health as a centre piece of the development agenda for African countries.

Prof. Akosa commended ISSER for contributions made to research and tasked them to bring research collaborators together so they could bid for funding of research projects.

He expressed concern about unsafe abortion and the rate at which women were dying at child birth and called for more action to address the problem.

Professor Paul Schultz of Department of Economics, Economic Growth Centre, Yale University, called for correlation between the adoption of health inputs and health outcomes as an indication of intervention effect in addressing health issues.

Professor Clement Ahiadeke, Director of ISSER, expressed concern about the rudeness of health professionals meted out to pregnant women who attend ante-natal and delivery and urged health professionals to show some compassion to these group of people to reduce maternal mortality.