Senchi: The Asuogyaman District Health Directorate recorded zero maternal deaths in 2025, a milestone attributed to the dedication of health workers and strengthened maternal healthcare services across the district.
According to Ghana News Agency, the achievement was announced at the Directorate's Annual Performance Review Conference held in Senchi under the theme: 'Data-Driven Action for Better Outcomes: Strengthening EPI, Family Planning and ANC Services.' The conference brought together political leaders, traditional authorities, health professionals, and staff to assess the district's health performance for 2025.
Ms Rebecca Dede Bantey, the District Health Director, emphasized the importance of data in improving health outcomes, noting that it guided decision-making, policy direction, and the identification of service delivery gaps. She stated that properly collected, analyzed, and utilized data enables identification of gaps, efficient resource allocation, and improves service quality.
Despite the progress, Ms Bantey noted shortcomings in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), family planning, and antenatal care-key pillars of maternal and child health. Challenges included missed vaccination opportunities, incomplete data recording, difficulty in reaching remote communities, and an inadequate number of community health nurses. She called for strengthened outreach services, improved defaulter tracing, and more accurate data reporting.
A presentation by the District Health Information Officer revealed that Upper Respiratory Tract Infections topped Out-Patient Department (OPD) cases in 2025 with 31,662 cases, followed by malaria with 26,833 cases. Other reported cases included arthritis and joint pains (16,481), eye infections (8,940), urinary tract infections (8,880), intestinal worms (8,258), and skin diseases (7,747).
The district also recorded zero maternal deaths among women who delivered at health facilities. Officials credited this outcome to the commitment of health professionals, improved maternal healthcare services, and the timely referral of complicated cases.
Mr Andrews Afari, District Health Director for Asene-Manso-Akroso and leader of the peer review team, commended Asuogyaman for its strong performance. He noted that the annual peer review process enabled districts to share best practices and identify challenges, adding that Asuogyaman's strategy of extending services to hard-to-reach communities was commendable and could serve as a model for other districts. He further encouraged the Directorate to intensify family planning campaigns and address data management gaps.
The Asuogyaman District Chief Executive, Mr Godwin Bobobee, praised health workers for their dedication. He highlighted the importance of annual performance reviews to reflect on achievements, assess challenges, and develop strategies to improve healthcare services. Mr Bobobee stressed the importance of data-driven planning, ensuring resources are directed to areas most in need, and reaffirmed the Assembly's commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure, strengthening community outreach, and fostering collaboration with traditional authorities and other stakeholders.
He expressed optimism that sustained commitment from health workers, government, and communities would further improve health outcomes. Mr Bobobee urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure quality maternal care, protect children from preventable diseases, and achieve universal access to essential health services.