The Eastern Regional Health Directorate has made remarkable improvement this year in stillbirth rates performing above national target.
The stillbirth rate (SBR) is defined as the number of babies born with no signs of life at 28 weeks or more of gestation, per 1,000 total births.
In 2025 half-year performance review report, presented during the review meeting in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Health Directorate revealed that the region reduced stillbirths from 12.2 per 1,000 births in 2024 to 11.2 per 1,000 births in 2025, surpassing the national target of 11.5 per 1,000 births.
According to the Regional Health Director, Dr. Damien Punguyire, the progress is a direct result of strengthened antenatal care services, increased health education, and the dedication of health professionals across health facilities.
He emphasized that while the achievement is worth celebrating, more work remains to ensure no mother loses a baby unnecessarily.
The review also highlighted other improvements, including an increase in early antenatal care registration from 61.5% to 64% and a reduction in mother-to-child HIV transmission from 2.4% to 2.1%.
Also, early initiation of breastfeeding improved to 96.9%,Outpatient attendance rose from 1.4 to 1.5 per capita following the opening of five new hospitals.
Again, Tuberclosis (TB) case notification increased significantly from 82% to 89%, and Under-5 institutional malaria fatality rate reduced to zero.
However, some indicators showed worrying trends. Family planning acceptor rate declined from 37% to 33.6%, immunization coverage dropped to 94.2%, and institutional maternal mortality ratio increased slightly to 117 deaths per 100,000 live births.
The Health Directorate also noted Antibiotic prescription rates rose from 28% to 32.4%, raising concerns about incidents of antimicrobial resistance.
Dr Punguyire stressed that improving primary health care remains critical to sustaining progress in maternal and child health, adding that the region is committed to achieving universal health coverage.
“Primary Health Care (PHC) is the foundation of a resilient health system and the most effective pathway to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Ensuring access to essential health services for every individual; regardless of geography, gender, or economic status; is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Our performance review today, therefore, is not just a routine exercise but a timely reminder of the urgency to strengthen PHC delivery in the Eastern Region.” Said Dr. Pungunyire.
Addressing the gathering during the event, the Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, commended efforts of health workers in the gains made but was alarmed with the trend institutional maternal mortality .
“It is quite worrying to hear our queen death while giving birth, we should be able to identify risk pregnancies for interventions, the most strict ideal management of pregnant women during delivery”
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“We must assign task to staff with prerequisite skills and training, organise periodic refresher training to fill knowledge gaps, conducting effective supportive supervision to empower and correct mistakes and exhibit preferable attitudes in the course of service delivery, timely referrals and effective communication among nurses”.
The Minister further reiterated government’s commitment to continue to offer the needed support through improving health infrastructure as well as recruitment of the needed manpower and logistics for efficient and quality health service delivery to achieve universal health coverage.
She said, “Government has charged every district assembly to prioritise the construction of additional CHPS compounds in undeserved areas, rehabilitate and refurbish existing ones whose structures has deteriorated, and must equip them to be able to deliver the much needed quality health care at the community level”.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
