Ahafo Regional Health Directorate has recorded some improvement in some healthcare areas, per the health sector performance indicators for 2021.
 
According to the Ahafo Regional Health Director (ARHD), Dr. Kwabena Boateng Boakye, one of the improved areas is the region's institutional neonatal mortality rate. It improved from 7.7 to 6 per 1,000 live births, which is within the regional target of 8 per 1,000 live births.

The institutional maternal mortality ratio currently stands at 84 per 100,000 live births, a bit higher than the previous year but still within the national target of 125 per 100,000 live births.

The region also recorded improvements in areas such as; family planning acceptor rates, the proportion of mothers who made at least 4 ANC visits, per capita OPD attendance, among others.

"We had ten maternal deaths in 2021. Even one death is too many because the life of an entire family depends on the mother. We do maternal death audits, and the district teams come with their recommendations that help to roll out strategies to improve neonatal and maternal mortalities", he explained.

Dr. Boateng Boakye also said they are reactivating the regional maternal, child, and newborns task force to work towards the achievement of the earlier year's slogan of "zero tolerance for maternal deaths.

With improved and specialized personnel, coupled with commitment and passion, he insists they will improve the results.

The ARHD also assured that together with all senior managers, they would continue to work hard to improve areas such as; regional TB case notification rate, malaria incidence rate, tracer medicines availability, and lack of quality assurance teams at some hospitals.

Dr. Boateng Boakye spoke at the 2021 Ahafo Regional Annual Health Sector performance review meeting on the theme; "Essential Services Continuity amid the Covid-19 pandemic: Leveraging on public health and clinical care synergy".

The two-day meeting, attended by stakeholders in the health care sector, will also reflect on ways of closing any real or perceived gaps between public health and clinical care to deliver better on their mandate.

The National Holistic Assessment exercise of the Ghana Health Services (GHS) for 2021 was carried out early in 2022, and Ahafo Region obtained an overall score of 4.1 out of 5, an improvement over the 2020 score of 3.8.

According to the ARHD, aside from crediting the staff for the improvement, they are also striving to achieve at least a 4.2 score in 2022. This, he insisted, is possible with all hands on deck.

He, however, bemoaned the challenges confronting them, such as office and residential accommodations, vehicles, among others, that continue to affect the efficient and effective delivery of their mandates, and, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders to come to their aid.

William Frimpong Bonsu, GHS Council member, addressing the meeting said the council will expedite the appointments of qualified officers to fill vacant management positions at all service levels to strengthen leadership and governance capacity in the service.

The Ahafo parent GHS council member also said the council shall support management to prioritize staff welfare and motivation to enable them to deliver the best possible healthcare services for the people.

The chief of Ntortroso, Barima Twereku Ampem II, assured the health directorate the regional house of chiefs would discuss their challenges, especially infrastructure, for effective healthcare delivery.

Awards were given to deserving organizations, healthcare providers, and Districts for their contributions to healthcare services. Tano North District was named as the overall best district in the holistic assessment for the Region.