Offinso (Ash), Feb. 5, GNA - The Offinso district directorate of health services recorded 253 cases of HIV/AIDS cases between January 2003 and June 2004.

Mr Francis Osei, the District Director of Health Services, disclosed this at the opening of a two-day annual review meeting of the district health directorate at Offinso on Friday.

The meeting attended by more than 50 participants, including health personnel, heads of decentralised departments and assembly members, reviewed last year's health activities in the district with a view to adopting effective strategies to improve on the results.

He noted that in spite of the educational programmes on HIV/AIDS by the health services and the various Community Based Organisations (CBOs) to the people, the spread of the disease is still on the increase. Mr Osei therefore appealed to churches and individuals to support the work of the CBOs to intensify their education to minimise the spread of the pandemic.

He announced that malaria continues to be number one killer in the area and that the district recorded 32,359 cases in 2003 as against 28,138 cases in 2004.

He attributed the fall in the malaria cases to the successful implementation of the National Malaria Control Programme, which included training of chemical sellers, volunteers and health staff to educate the people on the prevention and control of the disease, and the use of treated mosquito nets.

Mr Osei said maternal mortality dropped from nine in 2003 to five in 2004 while that of guinea worm cases also increased from two in 2003 to 28 cases in 2004.

He said to address the problems of maternal deaths and guinea worm cases, the health directorate had intensified its outreach programmes on safe motherhood and also ensuring that the people are provided with good drinking water.

Mr Osei said efforts were being made to establish the District Mutual Insurance Scheme, which would take-off this year and appealed to the people to pay their contributions.