The Savannah Regional Director of Health Dr Chrysantus Kubio has revealed that the that new cases of HIV in the Savannah region has reduced from 636 in 2021 to 453 in 2022 representing a positivity rate of 1% against 1.5% in 2021.

Speaking at the 2022 regional performance review meeting of the Ghana Health Service in the Region on 30th March, 2023 under the theme; “Addressing Health Performance Gaps: The role of Supportive Supervision and Follow-up Actions”, Dr Kubio indicated further that the Savannah Region further recorded a decline in adolescent pregnancies in 2022 from 14.4% in 2021 to 13.0% in 2022 giving a positive decrease of 1.4% during the year under review.

He mentioned the operationalization of two Polyclinics in the region with one Bamboi and Makango respectively.

He went further to mention that the Doctor Population ratio in the region has also improved from 11% to 36% adding that through hardwork, the target of 100% would be realised.

Dr Kubio attributed the successes chalked by the service to the collective efforts of all health professionals in the region and admonished them not to renege on their mandate in ensuring quality health-care delivery in the area.

He however mentioned the challenges that the Regional Health Directorate is confronted with.

The Savannah Regional Health Director said they challenges such as lack of accommodation for health workers posted to parts of the Savannah Region including inadequate transport for service delivery activities, difficulty in service delivery to island, overbank and hard to reach communities in all the seven Districts of the Region and high staff attrition because of the deprived nature of the region.

He appealed to stakeholders in the health sector to continue to complement efforts by the service in the region to bring quality health-care delivery to the doorsteps of people in accomplishing niversal health care.

He used the opportunity to thank the various district assemblys including the support from members of Parliaments in the region including their development partners such as UNICEF, CRS, etc.

The Savannah Regional Minister, Mr Saeed Muhazu Jibril in an address indicated that the NPP government remains committed to providing proper health infrastructure to help improve quality health-care delivery in the country.

He said two Districts hospitals are under construction in the region with a regional hospital under the government’s agenda 111 project almost ready to kick start to improve the health care delivery systems in the Savannah Region.

He disclosed by stating; “Ladies and gentlemen, the NPP government recognizes the health sector as key to the development of this nation hence, upon assuming office it undertook substantial investments to strengthen the sector. On infrastructure, government is constructing 2 new District hospitals from scratch as part of Agenda 111 in North Gonja and North East Gonja Districts of the region. Plans are underway to cut sod for the construction of a regional hospital between Damongo and Soalepe in the West Gonja District”.

He commended the Savannah Regional Director of Health and his team for the good work they are doing for the region.

Mr Saeed Muhazu Jibril also disclosed that the league table for 2022 saw the Savannah Region performance in the health sector very much improved, adding that the Bole district did very well in lifting high the flag of the Savannah Region.

The two day Health Directorate 2022 annual performance review brought together dignitaries from the health sector from the all the head office and across all the districts in the region.

Source: nkilgifmonline.com