HIV cases up among pregnant women in Dormaa

Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A) Aug. 3, GNA - Dormaa recorded exponential increases in HIV positive mothers in the first half of 2010 than the same period in 2009.

Forty-four out of 1690 pregnant women tested in the municipality in the first half of this year were HIV positive as against nine out of 1105 pregnant women tested over the same period in 2009.

Madam Cecilia Nyamedi, Dormaa Municipal Disease Control Officer, announced the figures at Dormaa-Ahenkro during a Mid-year Review Meeting organized by the Dormaa Office of the Ghana Health Service to discuss performance of the municipality's nine health sub districts from January to June, 2010.

She explained that the rise in figures for 2010 was partially due to increased awareness among pregnant women in the area which has reflected in their rate of hospital attendance and the necessary tests on them.

Madam Nyamedi announced that the municipality recorded four maternal deaths over the six- month period while 97 out of 3161 deliveries were stillborn.

She stated that that malaria was still prevalent and occupies the top of the ten leading Out Patient Department (OPD) attendance in the municipality and therefore appealed to the heads of the health sub districts to intensify their regenerative health campaign to minimize the tempo of the disease in their catchments areas.

The Acting Municipal Health Director, Nana Kwakye Siaw said the directorate desired that all health facilities in the municipality were designated "Baby-friendly" with programmes to build capacity among mothers to make them capable of handling and protecting the health rights and physical development of children so as to groom them adequately for the task ahead of them.

He suggested mother support groups for the various communities where women could meet regularly to be given expert advice on reproductive health and other female related issues.

Nana Siaw announced that the Health Directorate, in its desire to promote good health among people in general and the elderly in particular, has been collaborating with the two FM stations in Dormaa-Ahenkro to organize monthly health walk on vantage days to ensure that people blend medication with exercise to enhance and sustain good health.