CSM killed 25 people in 2009 in Upper East.

Bolgatanga, Feb, 4, GNA - The Upper East Region, between January 2009 and December 2009, recorded 25 deaths as a result of the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM). Fourteen deaths have already been recorded between January 1st, 2010 and January 22, 2010 in the region. The Upper East Regional Director of Ghana Health Service, Dr. John Koku Awoonor-Williams, said this during the opening of the Regional Health Review Meeting on Thursday under the theme" Upper East Region at 50 years; Achieving Better Health and Wealth Creation." He said the 14 deaths early this year served as a warning and required urgent attention.

Dr Awoonor-William said his outfit was working closely with the national office to take steps to avert any major catastrophe witnessed in the Region in 1996-1997 when the region recorded 18,703 cases with 1,356 deaths. He said the Regional Health Directorate had taken delivery of 100,000 doses of Polysaccharide AC vaccines for vaccination and the objective of the exercise was to reach 100,000 people. Dr Awoonor-Williams complained about doctors who refused posting to the Region and said the doctor patient ratio remained almost the same one doctor to 34,000 patients.

He said another major problem facing health personnel in the Region was accommodation and appealed to other organizations to assist. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo, commended the Management and Staff of the GHS for their hard work and urged them to keep it up.

He said it had been agreed that each of the nine districts sponsors five medical students as well as health personnel on yearly basis as a means of ensuring the availability of health staff in the Region. He said he was engaging traditional leaders, Municipal and District assemblies and other relevant organizations to find ways of solving the perennial land problems in the Region to pave way for more health facilities to be built. Mr. Woyongo indicated that the District Assemblies would continue to build Community Health Planning System (CHPS), adding the abandoned polyclinic in the Bolgatanga Municipality would be completed to augment the Regional Dospital.