Takoradi — The Western Regional Minister, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, has observed with regret the growth rate of malaria cases in Ghana, and the Western Region in particular, as reported by the Ghana Health Services (GHS) during its 2009 Annual Performance Review Conference.

He said the situation, if not reversed immediately by stakeholders, could pose great danger to the economy.

In an address read on his behalf at the closing ceremony of the Annual Performance Review of the GHS held in Takoradi on Wednesday, the Minister said, "Malaria continues to be the number one cause of morbidity and mortality in the region, accounting for 46.2% of OPD attendance, 47.5% of hospital admissions, and 22.6% hospital deaths.

"We have to intensify the fight against malaria, by promoting cost-effective interventions against malaria, such as the use of insecticide-treated bed nets, and intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy."

Mr. Aidoo told the health workers, comprising of district health directors, supervisors and superintendents, that he was aware that the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) had provided Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTS) to be used free of charge at the sub-districts level, and funds had also been made available for integrated malaria control activities.

He appealed to all the district directors of the health service, to ensure the judicious use of these funds, to bring out the desired impact of reducing malaria cases and deaths.

According to Mr. Aidoo, President John Evans Atta Mills was looking for a better Ghana for all Ghanaians, and the health sector, being an important pillar of the nation's economy, certainly must be prepared to play a crucial role in that direction, to get the agenda achieved.

In this regard, he urged the GHS to place community health at the center of its activities, making sure it delivered quality and affordable health to all Ghanaians in all corners of the country. "This strategy is specially aimed at getting healthcare to reach communities which do not have ready access to healthcare at all," he emphasised.

Dr. Linda Van Otoo, Regional Director of the Ghana Health Services, in a 30-minute presentation on the performance of the region in the year 2009, said malaria was still the most dominant killer disease in the country and in the region.

As a result, she called for collaborative efforts by all stakeholders to combat the disease in the region.

She also noted that health practitioners in the region were putting up their best to improve health service delivery, except that the challenges facing the sector were overwhelming.

According to her, lack of accommodation for staff, lack of critical staff, deteriorating health infrastructure, ageing equipment, lack of transportation, poor data management, and the huge debts accumulated at the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), continue to hamper progress in the health sector.

She said constraints in logistics and uncompleted capital projects sited in many of the 17 districts in the region, are among the visible challenges confronting the region, which should be tackled by stakeholders.

According to her, the poor road network of some of the districts in the region, coupled with the lack of key service providers, specialists, midwives, anesthetists, and other technical officers, are major contributory factors worrying the smooth delivery of health in the region.

According to Dr. Van Otoo, there was the need for effective collaboration and linkages between public health and all the other stakeholders in the health sector to address these challenges mentioned, adding "We need to critically look at our work and plan for improvement."

Despite the fact that the region had improved on its performance, she said it was by the dint of hard work by health workers in the region. "The region has improved in certain areas, but there is still a lot to be done," she noted.

This year, the Regional Director said proper data management at all levels, TB cases detection and management, HIV/Aids cases, family planning promotion, a comprehensive plan for the oil industry, monitoring of non-communicable diseases, including cancer, would all be part of the areas the sector would tackle. In the case of data, for instance, she advised health workers to begin to learn how to use data for action and resource mobilisation.

She also advised against the misuse of public and internally generated funds.

All metropolitan, municipal and district health directors in the region, including medical superintendents, mission health workers, and some non-governmental organisations in the health sector, were present at the closing ceremony of the performance review.