Upper West records decline in maternal, neonatal deaths
The Upper West Region has recorded a significant decline in maternal and neonatal deaths over the last five years.
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That achievement has been attributed to the successful implementation of a joint health project undertaken by Ghana and Japan.
The five-year project, implemented by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), led to the construction of 64 Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compounds and the training of more than 900 health officials in the region.
At the end of the project in May 2016, the regional institutional maternal mortality ratio had declined from 212/100,000 live births in 2011 to 155.8/100,000 live births in 2015.
In June this year, it declined further to 105/100,000 lives birth, while the regional institutional neonatal mortality rate declined from 11.2/1,000 live births to 7.4/1,000 between 2011 and 2015.
The acting Upper West Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Winfred Ofosu, made this known at the final dissemination forum on the project implementation in Wa on Thursday.
GHS/JICA project
The GHS/JICA project, dubbed, "Project for improvement of maternal and neonatal health services utilising CHPS system in the Upper West Region", began in September 2011.
It was aimed at strengthening maternal and neonatal health within the framework of CHPS implementation.
In the last five years, the foundation has construction of 64 CHPS compounds across the region and the training of 917 health personnel as initiatives that had helped deprived communities in the region to address the high maternal and neonatal deaths.
Although the project would end this year, Mr Sulemani emphasised the government's commitment to prioritise health care in rural areas where access to health facilities was difficult.
He urged the assemblies in the region to partner health officials to ensure that challenges that would pose a danger to the efficient delivery of the CHPS project were properly addressed.
Japan commended
The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Amidu Sulemani, commended the government of Japan for the effective
implementation of projects aimed at enhancing health care in the region.
In particular, he mentioned the construction of 64 CHPS compounds across the region and the training of 917 health
personnel as initiatives that had helped deprived communities in the region to address the high maternal and neonatal deaths. Although the project would end this year, Mr Sulemani emphasised the government's
commitment to prioritise health care in rural areas where access to health facilities was difficult.
He urged the assemblies in the region to partner health officials to ensure that challenges that would pose a danger to the efficient delivery of the CHPS project were properly addressed.
JICA supports
A representative of JICA, Mr Masonori Yamazaki, stressed the commitment of the Japanese government to assist Ghana to improve its health care.
He said Japanese government grants that led to the construction of more CHPS compounds in deprived communities of the Upper West Region were part of the effort to address high maternal and neonatal deaths in the region.
He, therefore, urged health authorities in the region to find other means of sustaining the project, in view of the end of the JICA support.