Malaria claims 96 lives in Ashanti last year

Kumasi, Feb 17, GNA- Dr Joe Bonney, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Health in-charge of Clinical Services, on Saturday said malaria claimed 96 lives in the Region last year. He said even though the situation indicated an improvement over that of the previous year, which recorded 169 deaths, malaria continued to account for most out-patient department (OPD) attendances at hospitals in Ashanti.

Dr Booney, who was speaking at the annual Regional Health Performance Review Meeting of the Ghana Health Services in Kumasi, said over 900,000 reported cases of malaria were recorded in the region last year and many more cases in the previous years. He said the Regional Directorate of Health would this year intensify its outreach sensitization programme on the disease to help reduce its prevalence rate towards increased productivity. Dr Bonney diarrhoea and hypertension related diseases also accounted for most OPD attendances within the year under review. He said a total of 75,737 reported cases of diarrhoea related diseases were recorded last year whilst reported cases of hypertension were 69,073, indicating an increase over that of the previous year, which was 57,218.

Dr Bonney said typhoid fever, hernia, anaemia, pneumonia and gynaecological related problems accounted mostly for the causes of admissions in the region. Dr Kofi Asare, the Regional Director of Health Services, appealed to government to build residential and office accommodation for health staff to encourage them to accept postings to the rural areas.