Non-communicable diseases on the increase in Wa Municipality

WA, May 15, GNA - The Wa Municipal Directorate of Health Services has created a regenerative health corner within the directorate for screening hypertension and glucose levels. The corner would also help to provide education on nutrition as a measure to check the increasing trend of non-communicable disease within the Municipality.

Mrs Beatrice Kunfah, the Municipal Director of Health Services, who announced this on Friday, said there were 1,097 cases of hypertension in 2009 as against 648 cases of the disease in 2008 while diabetes cases rose from 20 in 2008 to 139 in 2009. She said the Directorate had also instituted health walks to create awareness on the benefits of engaging in physical exercises. Mrs Kunfah said this at a ceremony at Wa to symbolically inaugurate five newly constructed clinics located at the Wa Central Market, Wa Community Centre, Kpaguri, Dobile and Busa.

Resources for the construction of the clinics came from the National AIDS Control Programme and the Global Fund with UNICEF providing furniture, cabinets, fridges, television sets video decks and air conditioners for service delivery in the clinics.

The occasion also climaxed the child's week celebrations, which sought to create awareness on the simple and cost effective interventions that had positive impact on the health of children. Activities undertaken during the week included immunization of children against childhood killer diseases, vitamin 'A' supplementation, de-worming, sale and re-treatment of insecticides treated nets, provision of child health record cards and birth registration.

She urged men to do more in caring for their families than just giving a bag of corn or millet to their spouses to feed their children. "Educate the children, empower them, and teach them values of love, respect and hard work", she emphasized. Mr Duogu Yakubu, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, announced that the Assembly had constructed bone setters clinic at Jonga to boost the morale of traditional healers in appreciation of the important role they were playing in health care delivery.

As a commitment to meeting the health needs of the people, the Assembly had also constructed two rural clinics and two CHPS facilities in the Municipality as part of efforts to make health services available to everyone.

Dr Alexis Nang-beifubah, the Regional Director of Health Services said the region would soon receive a number of doctors, who were prepared to serve in the region, but noted that residential accommodation for some of them was a big challenge. He had, therefore, suggested that all residential facilities that were initially meant for the accommodation of health personnel, but were currently being occupied by other workers, should revert back to the health workers. 15 May 10