UE records reduction in HIV prevalence rate

Story:Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women in the Upper East Region have reduced over the years from 3.2 in 2006 to 2.4 in 2010 and 1.5 in 2011. Dr John Koku Awoonor-Williams, Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service has disclosed. He said at the same time, the region's preventing mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV sites increased from 45 in in 2006 to 163 in 2012 making prevention of new HIV infections services more accessible to the target populations. "While I take the opportunity to commend all Budget Management Centers (BMCs)on these achievements, we need more behavioral change practices and scale up of adolescent and sexual health interventions to enable us sustain this downward trend in HIV prevalence in the region." Dr. Awoonor-Williams said. The Regional Director of Health Services said this during a four-day Regional annual performance review meeting at Bolgatanga. The meeting themed:"Achieving service coverage through quality data: the impact of health information management management systems implementation" sought to appraise the region’s performance in healthcare delivery in the previous year and to strategize on how improve on its services. He said the drive to moreover health infrastructure for accelerated health gains received significant boost in 2012 adding that PMTCT centres were a accordingly completed in Yinduri, Navrongo Central and Kurugu in the Kassena-Nankana Wst District. He said Community Health Planning and Services ( CHPS) compounds has been provided at Aloko in the Garu-Tempane District, Gambigo in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Yarigu in the Bawku West District and Anafobisi in the Bongo District. He disclosed that functional CHPS zones increased from 87 in 2008 to 117 in 2012 representing 86 percent increase over a 4-year period due to a determined effort and focus to reach a larger population and address geographical access disparities. In spite of these strides, Dr. Awoonor-Willaims said inadequate human resource continue to affect the quality of health service delivery in the Upper East Region despite planned sustained efforts by the regional health sector to address the challenge with the worse affected being the district health facilities as doctors, nurses and other health professionals continue to refuse postings to the region. He said all nine doctors posted to the region in 2012 failed to report while one doctor vacated post. He said additionally, a total of 42 health professionals were posted out of the region in compliance with Ghana Health Service new staff placement with regards to nurses and midwives. On the contrary, he said only four staff were posted to the region from headquarters in return. "This is a flawed policy. We will continue initiatives to help attract and retain staff in the region including the three year minimum bond years for staff, that is nurses and midwives, graduating from health training schools in the region."He said A former Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias Sory who was a guest of honour commended the leadership of the Regional Health Directorate particularly, Dr Awoonor-Williams for his role in addressing most of the pressing health challenges affecting the region. He noted even in he face of human resource and infrastructural deficit, the region through prudent managerial policies has made remarkable strides in scaling up most CHPS Compounds which have been helpful in improving the quality of health of the rural communities. He also stressed the need for decentralization of recruitment process so Regional Health Directors can be resources and empowered to hire and fire personnel. -End-