Koforidua, April 30, GNA - Maternal mortality reduced from 250 deaths per 100, 00 live births in 2008 to 152 per 100,000 live births in 2009 while supervised delivery also improved from 48 per cent in 2008 to 51 per cent in 2009 in the Eastern Region. The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, told a Meet-the-Press function on Thursday that childhood immunization coverage for measles increased from 94.7 per cent in 2008 to 96.3 per cent in 2009 and the region had not recorded any death from measles since 2008 and any poliomyelitis case since 2003. He said records showed that there was increase in non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes in the region. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said the contractor awarded the contract to construct the Nsawam/Aburi road had abandoned the project and so the contract is being repackaged to be re-awarded. He appealed to the Ministry of Roads and Highway to urgently consider the reconstruction of the Suhum/Asamankese road and the Akyem Oda/New Abirim road.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said under a government programme to eradicate schools under trees, the region is to benefit from the construction of 51 blocks of classrooms in the 21 districts in the region. He said the appointment of caterers for the school feeding programme had been regularized by the various district assemblies and all the outstanding legal cases between some caterers and the assemblies had been settled. Also, all outstanding payments to the caterers have been made to pave way for the smooth running of the school feeding programme in the region.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said under the Afram Plains Development Project, 200 hectares of fodder banks would be constructed at Dwarf Island, Forifori, Amankwa Tornu, Mem Chemfre and Maame Krobo to help control the movement of the Fulani herdsmen who have continued to destroy farms and other properties in the district by confining them to the fodder banks. The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Ahmed Baba-Jamal, said bidding for the diversification of the Ghana Consolidated Diamond (GCD) Mines at Akwatia had closed and five companies had expressed interest in the project.

He said the Minister of Finance, who is the chairman of the committee handling the bidding process, had promised to fast track the process for the company that would win the bid to take over the company for the workers of the GCD to get some relief. Mr John Tia Akologu, the Minister for Information who chaired the function, appealed to supporters of the New Patriotic Party employed in institutions where staffs perceived to be sympathizers of the National Democratic Congress were dismissed in 2001 to stop teasing the foot soldiers of the NDC to help reduce the tension which the foot soldiers are creating.