N/R Chalks Up Success In Polio And Guinea Worm Eradication

The Northern region, the first to record polio case in the country a couple of years ago, had last year not registered any. This was as a result of hard work and efficient health service delivery by dedicated health service workers in the area.
The Northern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Elias Sory disclosed this at an awards night organized by the Regional Directorate to honour deserving workers. In spite of challenges facing health workers in the Northern region, the area swept 11 out of total 54 national prizes instituted by the Ghana Health Service last year.
Addressing the workers at the regional awards night, the regional Director of Health Service, Dr Elias Sory urged them not to be complacent about their achievement, but rather work harder to improve upon the region's health. He also noted that as that which determines the country's success at eradicating guinea worm, the entire Northern region has also registered remarkable achievements last year by reducing the infection rate by 17 percent with the exception of Savelugu Nanton and Tolon Kumbungu districts, which performed abysmally poor.
The regional Health Director said there is an increase in HIV/AIDS infection rate in the area and called for the quickening of setting up of treatment center in the North. This, he said will spare those in the area infected with the disease, the pain of traveling to the southern part of the country for treatment. Dr Sory also bemoaned the slight utilization of health facilities by pregnant women, saying they prefer to visit the traditional birth attendants for delivery.
To reverse the trend, he urged the health workers to intensify their efforts at sensitizing the women about the importance of visiting professional birth attendant. Dr Sory suggested that more midwifery have to be trained and sent to the communities since the people have much belief in them.
The Northern Regional Health Promoter, Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Yakubu outlined challenges facing the health workers in the region and appealed to members of various communities in the area to serve as troubleshooters by reporting questionable characters amidst them to the appropriate quarters. The award winners took home packages ranging from motorbikes color televisions, fridges, computer and accessories and cooking utensils among other things.