The North East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service held its 2024 annual performance review meeting, assessing past achievements and challenges. The meeting highlighted improvements in healthcare delivery, such as increased antenatal care registration, although issues like rising stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates were noted. Infrastructure challenges were also discussed, emphasizing the need for continued support and collaboration among stakeholders to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030.
The North East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service convened its 2024 annual performance review meeting in Nalerigu. This two-day gathering, themed “Rational Management of Health Workforce towards Achieving Quality Universal Health Coverage,” brought together key stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders, and representatives from organizations like KOICA, UNICEF, and CRS. Attendees assessed past achievements and challenges, aiming to propose actionable solutions for enhanced performance in 2025.
Dr. Braimah Abubakari Baba, North East Regional Director of GHS, asserted that significant progress has been made in healthcare delivery through the Health Sector Medium-Term Development Plan aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030. He noted a slight decline in Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendance, dropping from 498,448 in 2023 to 484,444 in 2024, reflecting a 2.8% decrease. Conversely, antenatal care registration experienced a modest rise from 40.6% to 42.3% this year, indicating ongoing commitment to improving early pregnancy reporting through health education.
Dr. Baba reported a decrease in total deliveries from 21,086 in 2023 to 20,553 in 2024, yet highlighted a significant improvement in the regional institutional maternal mortality ratio from 51 to 48 per 100,000 live births. This figure surpasses the Universal Health Coverage target of 70 deaths by 2030. However, he raised concerns regarding increases in stillbirth rates (up from 8.6% to 9.1%) and neonatal mortality (from four to six per 1,000 live births), which marked a 29.8% increase.
Challenges faced by the Directorate include incomplete healthcare infrastructure, which hampers quality service delivery. He pointed out that the North East Region, being newly established, lacks its own regional medical stores, complicating the procurement of essential medical supplies as they rely on the Northern Region instead.
Mr. Ibrahim Tia, North East Regional Minister, praised the efforts of the Regional Health Directorate towards quality healthcare delivery and reiterated governmental support for the continued advancement of the health sector. Additionally, Miss Myeongseon Kim, KOICA representative, highlighted ongoing projects funded by the Korean Government aimed at enhancing health security, reproductive health, and community health services in the North East and Upper East Regions.
The North East Regional Health Directorate’s annual performance review underscored both achievements and challenges in healthcare service delivery. While progress in antenatal care and maternal health was evident, rising stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates remain concerning. Infrastructural deficits hinder optimal service delivery, prompting calls for governmental and international support. The commitment to enhancing healthcare outcomes through stakeholder collaboration is crucial as the region moves toward Universal Health Coverage by 2030.
Original Source: gna.org.gh
