Funsi, (UWR), Aug. 11, GNA -The Wa East District Directorate of the Ghana Health Service, has not recorded any infant death from January to June this year, Mr. Joseph Bolibie, the District Director of health service has announced.

He said two maternal deaths had been recorded within the period but that they occurred outside the district as against one in 2006. Mr. Bolibie, made these known at a two-day half year performance review workshop at Funsi on Thursday to assess the performance of the sector and strategies to achieve their set targets at the end of the year.

He said despite the numerous challenges facing the health sector it has been able to achieve satisfactory results in the coverage of childhood immunizations for the antigens from January to June this year. For instance, BCG vaccination rose up to 56 per cent as against 54.8 per cent last year, polio and acute cough recorded 56 percent compared to 50 per cent and measles 55 per cent as against 50 per cent within the same period.

Tetanus immunization recorded an increase of 33.4 percent as against 23.4 per cent and malnutrition among children and adults has also increased from 22.2 per cent to 27.7 during the year under review. Mr. Bolibie said even though there was several interventions put in place to improve the health status of children, who were malnourished, it still posed a challenge for service providers and called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to research to address the problem. He said there has been improvement in institutional delivery coverage in the communities because traditional birth attendance had been encouraged to come along with pregnant women to deliver at the health facilities, receiving soap and a hot meal as their reward. On guinea worm, he said 10 cases have been recorded within the period as against 41 cases last year, representing 76 per cent reduction of the disease.

Case containment rate increased from 64 per cent in 2006 to 100 percent in 2007. Endemic communities reduced from 48 in 2004 to 24 in 2005 and 11 in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Mr. Bolibie attributed the reduction in reported cases to the joint collaboration and on-going health education among health workers, teachers, village volunteers and community members as well as the Carter Centre and other development partners. 11 Aug. 07