Bolgatanga, Aug. 23, GNA - The Better Ghana Management Services Limited (BGMSL) is complementing efforts by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to reduce communicable and preventable diseases in the Upper East Region.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Bolgatanga at the Weekend, the Regional Coordinator of the BGMSL, Mr. Daniel Darko said as a result of the complementary role the company plays, there had been some reduction in communicable and preventable diseases such as typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, meningitis and malaria in the region.

He noted that about 190 health promoters engaged under the programme had been trained and deployed to all the nine districts in the Region to support the MOH staff in administering healthcare to the people, especially those in deprived areas.

“In addition, 120 motorbikes have been provided by the BGMSL to the health promotion officers to make them more accessible to the deprived areas to administer health care delivery while it is waiting to distribute more of the motorbikes to the remaining ones to facilitate their work”, he added.

He indicated that the health promotion officers were in addition tasked to do health education on regenerative health with emphasis on living good life-styles, including the need to exercise, take lots of water, fruits and vegetables and said when these things were observed they reduced preventable diseases drastically.

Mr Darko said other major roles played by the health promotion officers were that they embarked upon vigorous education on environmental and sanitation practices and food hygiene targeting mostly households and market women.

He indicated that research had proved that washing hands after visiting the toilet were able to prevent about 70 per cent of communicable diseases and that his outfit was advocating for that.

Mr Darko said they used various platforms including community durbars, religious institutions, market places, schools and health institutions to talk about how to observe good sanitation practices and personal hygiene and added that the messages were going down well since most of the target groups were beginning to change their negative attitudes.

Mr Darko said the MOH also engaged the staff to undertake important exercises such as the national immunization against polio and any other programme deemed it fit by it.

He said his outfit was committed to health delivery, especially those in deprived communities and therefore would continue to complement the work of the GHS and MOH to provide quality healthcare.