The Central Region recorded a dramatic rise in new HIV infections in 2024, with 3,803 new people contracting the virus, the Regional Health Directorate has reported.
This is a 45.3 per cent rise from the 2,168 new infections recorded in 2023, posing a significant risk to the population.
Dr Mrs Agnes Achiamaa Anane, the Acting Regional Director of Health Service, who shared the report expressed disquiet over the development, citing substantial pressures on the health system.
She was making a statement at the 2024 Central Regional annual performance review meeting in Cape Coast, where the region’s health system was appraised by health officials from the Eastern Regional Health Directorate with a high score.
A two member-team from the Eastern Region visited the Central Region to assess its performance, using three key objectives.
The assessment focused on universal access to better and efficiently managed quality health care; reduced avoidable maternal, adolescent and child deaths and disabilities; and increased access to responsive and public health emergency services.
The region’s overall performance inched up from 3.9 in 2023 to 4.1 out of the score of five in 2024.
On the cholera outbreak, Dr Anane announced that suspected cases in the region stood at 3,028 as of Tuesday, March 18 with 260 of them, including four health workers, confirmed.
Unfortunately, 19 people had succumbed to the infection so far.
She noted that mortality in general in the region increased by 14 per cent with maternal mortality jumping from 71 per 100,000 Live births in 2023 to 82 per 100,000 live births in 2024.
Despite that, the region saw a general improvement in its health situation, recording positive outcomes in stillbirth rate, Measles-Rubella coverage, incidence of malaria, mother-to-child HIV transmission and many other areas.
The Acting Regional Director, entreated the public to take precautionary measures against HIV by the youth abstaining from sex, using condoms or avoiding multiple sex partners.
In the case of cholera, she implored citizens to practice proper sanitation and stop open defecation.
She stressed that cholera remained a major public health concern in the region, with the recent outbreak exposing gaps in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions.
“In response, we are intensifying cholera prevention efforts, conducting mass awareness campaigns, and strengthening surveillance and early response mechanisms to contain and prevent future outbreaks,” she said.
Dr Anane acknowledged the grave human resource gaps, the lack of technical personnel and the necessary equipment in many of the districts needed to provide quality care in many health facilities.
She, however, assured that the directorate was actively engaging the relevant authorities on the issues to lessen the burden of health workers to enable them give off their best.
Mr Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, the Central Regional Minister, in a statement presented on his behalf, applauded the Regional Health Directorate and health workers in the region for their dedicated services and pledged to support them in every means possible to deliver their work effectively.
He reiterated government’s commitment to strengthening the health system with a raft of measures, by outlining plans in the budgetary allocation to advance national healthcare delivery.
The Regional Minister, however, denounced the poor situation in some streets and communities in the area, which had made the people susceptible to infectious diseases and putting a burden on the health system.
He, therefore, charged all citizens to desist from such practices to keep their surroundings clean.
The holistic assessment was introduced seven years ago to form the basis for health performance assessment in all regions across the nation.
The primary objective of the regional holistic assessment is to provide a very brief but well-informed, balanced, all-involving and transparent assessment of the regions.
The Central Regional Health Directorate gave awards to some retirees for their dedicated services to the region and the country.
GNA
