By J. K. Nabary
Winneba (C/R), Feb. 20, GNA – The Central Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has reaffirmed its commitment to provide municipal and district health offices with technical guidance, supportive supervision, monitoring and evaluation, and capacity building for staff.
Dr (Mrs) Alberta Adjebeng Biritwum-Nyarko, Central Regional Director of Health, gave the assurance in an address delivered on her behalf by Mr Stephen Danso, Information and Technology Manager of the Regional Directorate, at the 2025 annual performance review meeting.
The meeting, organised by the Effutu Municipal Directorate of Health Services in Winneba, was on the theme: “Reboot, Re-center, Drive Universal Health Care Forward.” It brought together health and allied agencies, traditional and religious leaders, the municipal assembly, security agencies, academia and health workers.
Dr Biritwum-Nyarko described the theme as timely and strategic, reflecting the realities confronting health systems and calling for renewal, commitment, innovation and purposeful leadership at all levels.
She noted that performance reviews remained critical platforms for accountability, learning and strategic decision-making, offering the opportunity to assess progress, celebrate achievements, identify gaps and chart the way forward to improve health outcomes.
She stressed the need to strengthen primary healthcare, expand access to essential services, intensify disease prevention and health promotion, and ensure continuity and quality of care across all levels to drive universal health coverage.
According to her, achieving universal healthcare requires strong district leadership, effective teamwork, optimal data use for decision-making and sustained collaboration with stakeholders and partners.
The Central Region recorded improvements in key indicators between 2024 and 2025: pregnant women taking IPT-3 increased by 3.7 percentage points; OPD malaria cases per 1,000 population declined by 5.61 per cent; stillbirth rate reduced by 4.1 per cent; first trimester antenatal clinic (ANC) registration improved by 1.5 per cent; and skilled delivery coverage rose by 4.6 per cent.
“These gains, though incremental, reflect the dedication, resilience and professionalism of health workers and stakeholders across our districts. Focused improvement, teamwork and effective leadership yield measurable progress even amid constraints,” she said.
However, she indicated that not all priority indicators showed improvement. Family planning acceptor rate declined by 9.59 per cent, institutional mortality increased by 13.1 per cent, and institutional neonatal mortality rose by 15.10 per cent. Encounters involving antibiotic prescriptions increased by 5.04 per cent, while the proportion of eligible persons living with HIV initiated on TB preventive therapy declined by 9.54 per cent in 2025.
“These gaps demand honest reflection, critical analysis and decisive collective action. Our policies and daily practices must remain people-centred, equitable and responsive to quality of care, patient safety and respectful, dignified service delivery,” she stated.
She emphasised the need for deliberate interventions targeting vulnerable groups, noting that population needs must guide the actions of health professionals and leaders in achieving universal health coverage.
To reverse the gaps, districts have been encouraged to strengthen internal accountability mechanisms, improve resource utilisation and leverage partnerships to address priority health challenges.
Dr Biritwum-Nyarko called on staff and stakeholders to recommit to building a resilient, people-centred health system that leaves no one behind.
She commended health workers across public, private and academic sectors for their dedication and professionalism throughout 2025 despite challenges, and thanked stakeholders for their continued support.
“Together, we can accelerate progress towards better health outcomes for all in the Central Region and Ghana as a whole,” she added.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Audrey Dekalu