PATH Ghana, a health centred non-governmental organisation in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) is implementing health service intervention to tackle infectious diseases in the Bono East Region.
The project dubbed “Integrated Antenatal Care Project” which targets pregnant women, nursing mothers and newborn babies aims further at reducing maternal and infant mortalities in the region.
Five areas that comprised Kintampo North, Techiman South and Atebubu-Amantin Municipalities as well as Nkoranza North and Sene West Districts are benefiting from the project.
Dr George Kwadwo Amofa, the Project Lead, PATH-Ghana disclosed this at a five-day capacity building training workshop for Midwives, Doctors, Pharmacists, Public Health Nurses, and Laboratory specialists held at Kintampo in the region.
He explained the implementation of the project, the first of its kind in the country, would help end pregnancy related infections, saying it had three thematic areas of filling the gap in providing diagnostic tools, build the capacity of frontline health personnel on the signs and symptoms of infections as well as design systems to manage infections in pregnant women.
Dr Amofa said the region’s rate of infections among pregnant women and nursing mothers had been worrying over the years and expressed optimism that stakeholders would support and make the project implementation successful.
Dr Paulina Clara Appiah, a Deputy Director in-charge of Public Health at the Bono East Regional Health Directorate said 33 health workers had already been trained on infection reduction to reduce neo-natal morbidities, saying neo-natal infections were the leading causes of deaths in the region.
The project therefore targeted prevention of infections in mothers and their babies in addition to addressing premature delivery, she said.
Dr. Appiah urged health workers to be friendly and encouraged clients to visit health facilities to seek medication always and advised pregnant women to attend ante-natal and post-natal clinics.
