Savannah Region records decrease in new cases of HIV in 2022

Dr. Chrisantus Kubio, the Savannah Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, says the region recorded a decrease in new cases of HIV in 2022.

The figure he explained, is 453 fewer than the 636 recorded in the region in 2021 representing a positivity rate of 1% against 1.5% in 2021.

He further revealed that adolescent pregnancies in the region also reduced from 14.4% in 2021 to 13.0% in 2022 giving an appreciable decline of 1.4%.

Dr. Kubio made this disclosure at the annual performance review meeting of the Ghana Health Service, Savannah Region in Damongo on Friday, March 30, 2023 under the theme, "Addressing Health Performance Gaps: The role of Supportive Supervision and Follow-up Actions".

According to him, the positive feat chalked constitutes the collective efforts of all health professionals in the region and urged them not to renege on their mandate ensuring quality health-care delivery in the area.

Despite the few strides made during the year under review, he stressed that the Regional Health Directorate is confronted with challenges in the discharge of its duties.

He mentioned inadequate transport for service delivery activities, difficulty in service delivery to island, overbank and hard to reach communities in all the seven Districts of the Region and non appointment of technical and auxiliary staff to some newly handed over hospitals and Polyclinics as some of the challenges confronting the service in the Region.

The Regional Health Director also made an appeal to all stakeholders in the health sector to complement efforts by the service in the region to bring quality health delivery to their doorsteps to accomplish universal health care.

The Savannah Regional Minister in his address said government remains committed to providing proper health infrastructure to help improve quality health-care delivery in the country.

According to him, two Districts hospitals are under construction in the region adding that plans are underway to cut sod for the construction of a regional hospital between Damongo and Soale in the West Gonja Municipality from the government under Agenda 111 to augment health care systems in the area.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the NPP government recognizes the health sector as key to the development of this nation hence, upon assuming office it undertook substantial investments to strengthen the sector. On infrastructure, government is constructing 2 new District hospitals from scratch as part of Agenda 111 in North Gonja and North East Gonja Districts of the region. Plans are underway to cut sod for the construction of a regional hospital between Damongo and Soalepe in the West Gonja District", he announced.

The meeting which brought together all stakeholders in the health sector afforded participants the opportunity to review and discuss issues of health in the region.