2010 IN RETROSPECT.....Modest gains made in the health sector

THE country’s health sector in the year 2010 continued with the good works the sector has been doing over the years. Notable among them are the efforts at the eradication of guinea worm and increase in immunisation coverage.
That is, in spite of the high incidence of maternal and child mortality which prompted the sector’s development partners to propose that maternal and child health be repositioned as a national emergency.
Ghana has a maternal mortality ratio of 350 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (UN estimates of Ghana in 2008) and under five mortality ratio of 80 deaths per 1000 live births (GDHS 2008).
To the partners led by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the acute mortality issue will hugely affect the country’s efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adding that the goals could be achieved through greater focus on health systems strengthening. They also suggested that a lot could be done if Ghana prioritised primary health care and scale-up all interventions which had proven successful.
Maternal and Child Care
In the year under review, the health sector sought to intensify and implement strategies for children under five years of age and maternity women. That was done through continuation of existing inventions.
The specific interventions included: Free maternal and child health services under NHIS, equipping of hospitals with obstetric equipment, improving on referral system, leadership training to improve on staff attitude.
To meet the MDGs four and five by 2015, training of midwives is being expanded to include Community Health Officers (CHOs).
Other interventions
There were also interventions towards prevention, control and eradication of common illnesses and diseases including Malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS
There was the provision of adequate health infrastructure and equipment that will enhance the localisation of medical treatment.
Under the period, there was expanded coverage of CHPS including construction of additional 29 compounds as well as increase in access to primary healthcare services.
One-time Premium Payment
The government has stated its commitment to ensure unhindered financial access to healthcare for residents of the country through a one-time premium payment for membership of the NHIS.
Towards this end, a nation-wide survey to determine the willingness of the citizenry to pay the one-time premium was conducted in 2009 and in 2010. The roadmap towards the implementation of the one-time premium was developed awaiting passage of the new NHIS law to pave way for the launch.
Health Sector Bills
Due to the multiplicity of laws within the health sector, cabinet in June 2005 directed that the laws should be consolidated as appropriate to reduce the number of laws by grouping the various laws under specific subject matters. In line with this, the laws which were regrouped was sent to Cabinet for approval. Within the year under review, all nine bills were approved by Cabinet and forwarded to Parliament for approval as part of the Health Sector Legal Reform initiative.
They included the Health Services Bill, the Mental Health Bill, the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Bill, the Health Institutions and Facilities Bill, the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Bill, the Medical Research Training Bill, the Health Co-ordinating Council Bill, the Health Insurance Bill and the Public Health Bill.
Traditional Medicine Practice
One major achievement was the induction of 47 pioneer medical herbal practitioners into professional practice at a ceremony in Accra after they had completed six years of medical training.
The graduates completed four years of studies at the Department of Medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and two years’ internship at the Mampong Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine.
Projects
To ensure equitable health care for all, the following key projects were completed in the health sector in the fiscal year 2010:-600,000 Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits for the confirmation of malaria cases were supplied; the 100-bed hospital with Malaria Research Centre at Teshie, Accra was completed; five Polyclinics in the Northern Region (one each at Kpandai, Tatale, Kanga, Chereponi and Karaga); and 21 health centres were completed.
In addition, phase two of the rehabilitation and the upgrading of Bolgatanga Regional Hospital was completed; essential nutrition actions, aimed at preventing neo-natal deaths and enhancing health services for children, were implemented in all the 10 regions of the country and also 140 trainers of trainers were exposed to the use of the new World Health Organisation Growth Chart.
The rest are; five new midwifery training colleges established to run courses in Post Basic Certificate in Midwifery
Way forward
At a five-day health summit held in November, concerns were raised over the weak level of governance at the district level. The meeting
agreed that leadership and governance at all levels form an essential component of health system strengthening, and endorsed the current initiative, the Leadership Development Programme, on which MOH and GHS have started to develop capacity within the system.
Noting that facilities supervision systems in the sector were weak, the meeting was briefed on the initiative in Upper West Region on support and supervision systems. It was agreed on that the UWR initiative should be explored further as a way of addressing the weak supervision systems.