Bolgatanga (U/E), Sept. 20, GNA - Dr Koku Awoonor-Williams, Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, has said maternal and child health continues to constitute a critical yard stick for measuring the nation's development.

He said maternal ill health and deaths had a far reaching socio-economic impact and called for a concerted effort to improve the quality of Ghanaian life.

Dr Awoonor said this when addressing the staff of the Health Services Workers Union in Bolgatanga to climax the annual celebration of the union. It was on the theme, Social protection: the back bone to quality life before and during retirement".

He called on health workers not to hesitate in accepting postings to rural areas in order to provide their services where it was most needed. He said in the society the most vulnerable health age group was between 15 and 35 years due to poverty, HIV/ AIDS, road traffic accidents, unemployment, and substance abuse.

Dr Awoonor said as a result of community based health planning, the NHIS, amongst others, key health indicators had improved significantly due to the twenty four hour preventive and curative health interventions provided to the poor and vulnerable in rural areas.