Brong Ahafo marks one year of Ghana Health Service

Sunyani, Feb. 13, GNA - Alhaj Dr Mohammed Bin Ibrahim, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Ghana Health Service on Thursday commended the media and other stakeholders in the region for their concerted efforts towards the improvement in the health status of the people.

He was addressing a meeting of the press and key health personnel in the region to mark the first anniversary celebration of the Service under the theme: "Eat Well, Stay Healthy and Live Longer".

The Regional Director said his outfit was poised for action this year and called for continued collaboration and support of all to realize its vision.

Dr Ibrahim said the directorate's vision was "a society in which preventable diseases and avoidable deaths would be kept to the barest minimum and where people would have access to a quality-driven, results oriented, close-to-client focused and affordable health service by a well motivated workforce".

This year we are redoubling our efforts to accelerate the global movement for the last push in the eradication of poliomyelitis and guinea worm diseases, especially in the most endemic areas of Kintampo and Atebubu districts of the region, he said.

Dr Ibrahim expressed the directorate's determination to contribute its quota towards the achievement of the millennium development goals and the health sector targets of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy. We are doing this by contributing towards the reduction of maternal mortality ratio, the infant mortality rate, improving nutritional status and fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, buruli ulcer and other preventable diseases, he said.

The Regional Director said the directorate would work to increase quality health care especially in most deprived areas in the region, including the island communities in the Sene and Atebubu Districts and the Bonche hard to reach areas of Kintampo district.

Dr Ibrahim added that the directorate was determined to strengthen collaboration between the Service, mission hospitals, private practitioners, traditional healers, NGOs, District Assemblies and all stakeholders, including the Press.

On the theme for the celebration, Ms Margaret Mary Awuah, Regional Nutrition Officer, noted that the high incidence of anaemic and diabetic cases in the region demanded an increase in the creation of awareness among the people to eat well.

She noted that over the past few years nutrition related diseases such as protein energy malnutrition, anaemia, diabetes, hypertension and stroke had been on the increase not only in Ghana but the world over. In Brong Ahafo, the prevalence rate of malnutrition in children under five years has increased from 5.2 percent in 2001 to 11.5 percent in 2003, she said.

The Regional Nutrition Officer advised nursing mothers to ensure that they breastfeed their babies, at least for the first six months after birth.

Ms Awuah called on the people to avoid unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking and excessive alcohol as well as drug abuse that could be detrimental to their health.

If we adhere to the good life-saving issues, Ghanaians can increase their life expectancy from the current 58 years to 80 years being experienced in other countries, she said.

Dr George Bonsu, Senior Medical Officer in charge of Public Health, said progress had been made in combating the rate of diseases in the region but noted that there were other constraints.

He complained of inadequate staff as well as residential and office accommodation for staff, weak and over-aged motorbikes and bad road system in some areas as Sene District and the island communities in the region.

The Senior Medical Officer expressed the hope that the regional coordinating council would help to address the problems.

Nana Kwadwo Seinti, the Regional Minister, gave assurance that greater efforts would be made to assist the regional health service to achieve its aims of providing quality health care to the people. Activities planned for the anniversary included church and mosque services, exhibitions, health talks, open days and health walks, at the regional and district levels.