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15.02.2010 Health

Let's do more preventive health education

15.02.2010 LISTEN
By GNA

Let's do more preventive health education
February 14, 2010
Abetifi (E/R), Feb. 14, GNA - Mr. Asamoah Frempong, Presiding Member, Kwahu East District Assembly, has called on the country's Health Officials to intensify preventive health education the various diseases rather than emphasising on curative measures.

He explained that this could help reduce the huge some of foreign exchange spent on the importation of drugs to cure patients at various health facilities.

Mr. Frempong who was addressing the District Health Sector annual performance review meeting at Abetifi said the government spent 700 million dollars on the treatment of Malaria in the country in 2008.

"While at the same time the district recorded increase in the numbers of the top ten diseases which included Malaria. hypotension, acute respiratory track infection (ARI) and rheumatism."

The acting District Director of Health Services, Mrs. Juana Amankwaa said Malaria cases went up from 21,653 in 2008 to 29,471 last year an increase of 41 per cent while the other top ten diseases also increased between ten and 25 per cent in the district.

She assured that health personnel in the district were ready to work hard and intensify their education to reduce the trend and therefore appealed for logistics like vehicle, motor bike, bicycles and additional personnel to enhance their performance.

The District Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Asamoah, said the meeting was to take stock of the achievement and failures for them to develop strategies to address any shortfall.

He said: "Since health is wealth", health officials should work hard to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) four and five, which include the reduction of child mortality rate by two-thirds and maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters by the year 2015.

Mr. Asamoah said the assembly would assist the district health sector to enhance their performance especially to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases in the district.

GNA

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