Dr Osei Kuffour Affreh, the Oti Regional Health Director of Health Service, has said the proportion of pregnant women attending accredited health facilities to give birth in the region has improved to 64.4 per cent in 2023 from 61.3 per cent in 2022
He said still-birth rate as the number of babies born with no signs of life at 28 weeks (about 6 and a half months) per 1,000 total births has also decreased from 13.2 per cent in 2022 to 9.9 per cent in 2023 with Biakoye District accounting for most of the cases by 27 per cent in the region.
Dr Affreh who said this during their annual performance review conference at Dambai said anaemia in pregnancy at 36 weeks (about 8 and a half months) in the region had also declined from 44.1 per cent in 2022 to 41 per cent during the same period this year with Krachi West District accounting for most of the cases by 57. 8 per cent, respectively.
The neonatal mortality rate increased from 1.2 per cent in the half year of 2022 to 2.6 per cent during the same period in 2023 with Biakoye District accounting for the highest rate of 9 per cent.
Out-patient Department (OPD) per capital is almost stagnant from 0.7 in the half year of 2022 with 0.71 in the first half year of 2023.
Dr Affreh said some key results of the district health system functionality test carried out in the region showed Universal Health Coverage (UHC) of 71.9 per cent and overall functionality of health systems at 81.5 per cent.
He expressed his appreciation to their dependable health partners for the support received over the years.
The partners include KOFITH, WHO (World Health Organisation), USAID (United States Agency for International Development), GAVI, WORLD VISION, MARIE STOPES, IMPACT MALARIA, ANESVAD AND UNICEF.
He noted that the partners have provided funds for the region to undertake several health interventions in the region during the half year under review.
He again expressed his profound gratitude to the Oti regional Coordinating Council (ORCC), the various Municipal and District Assemblies in the region, Traditional leaders, and members of the regional Health Committee for their continuous support for health delivery in the region.
Mr Joshua Makubu, the Oti Regional Minister gave the assurance that the Oti Regional Coordinating Council would continue to lobby for resources for all sectors including health and encouraged all relevant stakeholders to leverage resources and capabilities for service to be efficient in the region.
He admonished the Regional Health Directorate and other stakeholders to work together to improve health care, saying the region has had its share of the many government programmes such as the agenda 111 with four of these district hospitals at various levels of construction.
Source: Ghana News Agency
