More focus on child health delivery needed - Korean Ambassador

Mr Woon-Ki Lyeon, the South Korean Ambassador to Ghana, has said there is the need to strengthen the focus on maternal and child health care delivery so as to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr Lyeon said child healthcare and education was critical for the nation and more attention was needed in those areas to improve the development of children.

The Ambassador said this when he met with the representatives of UNICEF and the staff of the Upper East Regional Health Directorate at a partners’ briefing on the region’s health performance, in Bolgatanga.

Mr Lyeon praised the achievements and good results the Regional Health Directorate had made on child health delivery over the years and called for more collaborative efforts to address challenges facing the sector.

Ms Susan Namondo Ngongi, Country Representative of UNICEF, expressed the hope that good governance and leadership would help turn things round and make the sector very productive.

Mr Albert Abongo, the Upper East Regional Minister, called for collaboration amongst the research centres in the region and appealed for sponsorship for nurses to manage the facilities.

Dr Kofi Issah, Regional Director of Health Services, said his outfit would continue to provide the highest standard of sustainable health coverage in the region.

He said the region had 339 health facilities and 262 functional CHPS zones but was challenged with support services such as transportation adding that out of 604 motorbikes only 204 remained on road as at 2015.

After the meeting a new born care unit in Sandema, in Builsa District was launched and 30 Yamaha 100cc motorbikes were presented to the Regional Health Directorate under a partnership project called Human Development through Life Cycle Approach, funded by the Korean International Agency (KOICA) in collaboration with UNICEF and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).