Dr. Kofi Adadey, the Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, on Wednesday singled out malaria as leading in the top ten causes of ill-health in the Greater Accra Region.

He said malaria represented 43 percent of cases of ill health at both outpatients and admission facilities in public health institutions in the region.

Dr. Adadey was speaking to newsmen after the opening of a three-day end-of-year review conference of the Greater Accra Regional Health Services Administration, organised by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in Accra.

He mentioned diarrhoea-related conditions, acute respiratory and skin diseases, tuberculosis and hypertension as among the top causes of ill health in the region.

Dr. Adadey said the meeting would be looking at performances during the year and also focus on the health sector's five-year programme of work.

Sheikh Ibrahim C.Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister, in a speech read for him, said the health sector was grappling with numerous problems including those of brain drain and the upsurge in HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis cases.

He explained that government was working on a number of health insurance schemes on pilot basis, in addition to making health care accessible in remote areas under the Primary Health Care programme to improve on health care.

He said community-based health care programmes, which were placing nurses within the communities, were being pursued.