By Emelia B. Addae
Koforidua, March. 20, GNA – The Eastern Regional Health Directorate has held its 2025 Annual Performance Review under the theme: “Expanding Access: Strengthening Primary Health Care for Equitable Health Outcomes.”
Describing the theme as timely and strategic, the Eastern Regional Health Director, Dr Damien Punguyire, said although the region had made notable progress in health service delivery, disparities in access remained a major concern.
“While the region has made significant gains, we must acknowledge that not all communities benefit equally from these improvements,” he said.
Dr Punguyire noted that primary health care brought services closer to communities, strengthened prevention and early detection, and ensured equitable access to essential services regardless of location.
The review covered the final year of the 2022–2025 Health Sector Medium-Term Development Plan (HSMTDP), which focused on expanding access to quality care, reducing avoidable maternal, adolescent, and child deaths, and strengthening emergency response systems.
Several key health indicators improved during the period. Fourth antenatal care attendance rose from 79 per cent in 2022 to 85 per cent in 2025, while Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendance increased from 1.25 to 1.47 per capita.
Neonatal mortality declined from 7.8 to 6.2 per 1,000 live births, and malaria case fatality among children under five dropped from 0.07 per cent to 0.02 per cent.
Despite these gains, maternal mortality remained high at approximately 113 per 100,000 live births, while skilled delivery coverage declined from 59 per cent in 2022 to about 54 per cent in 2025—a trend Dr Punguyire described as “deeply concerning.”
He attributed the situation to factors including the uneven distribution of skilled birth attendants, infrastructure gaps in hard-to-reach communities, and lingering disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we enter the 2026–2030 plan period, reversing this trend is not optional—it is a moral imperative,” he stressed, noting that targeted interventions would be implemented in low-performing districts alongside strengthened deployment of midwives.
The region’s National Holistic Assessment score improved from 3.9 in 2024 to 4.15 in 2025, moving it from a Moderately Performing to a Highly Performing status. Dr Punguyire commended health workers for their commitment and dedication.
Outlining priorities for the 2026–2030 HSMTDP, he said the Directorate would institutionalise a half-yearly multi-partner review system, expand Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) infrastructure with at least two new compounds per district annually, and prioritise underserved zones lacking permanent structures.
He added that efforts would be made to strengthen disease surveillance and epidemic preparedness, fully operationalise the PSA Oxygen Plant to ensure reliable oxygen supply, and scale up digital health initiatives, including biometric child registration across 22 districts.
Staff welfare would also be prioritised through employee assistance programmes, welfare schemes, and staff clinic services, he said.
Dr Punguyire highlighted key challenges facing the region, including inadequate and unevenly distributed health personnel, high attrition due to migration, insufficient office space and staff accommodation, and limited operational funding.
He appealed for stronger collaboration among government, development partners, and communities to build a health system that “truly leaves no one behind.”
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mrs Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, said Ghana had made significant progress in expanding health services, strengthening immunisation, and improving maternal and child health interventions, as well as community outreach.
“A resilient primary health system ensures early detection of diseases, improves maternal and child health outcomes, enhances the management of chronic conditions, and reduces the burden on tertiary facilities,” she said.
“When communities can access quality healthcare close to where they live, the entire system becomes more efficient and responsive,” she added.
GNA
Edited by D.I. Laary/Audrey Dekalu