Cuban medical brigade holds scientific workshop

Mampong (Ash), May 5, GNA - The Ashanti Regional Co-ordinator of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Ghana, Dr Gustavo Acosta Martinez, has stressed the need for health authorities to pay more attention to the control of common preventable diseases.

He said with a high-level governmental commitment and long-term focus, it was possible for Ghana to eradicate malaria, typhoid fever, HIV/AIDS, cholera and Tuberculosis, which account for more than 50 per cent of the country's disease burden.

Dr Martinez stated this on Thursday when he presented an overview of the activities of the Brigade in the Ashanti Region during its fourth scientific workshop held at Asante Mampong. According to him, malaria, typhoid fever and TB were the most common infectious diseases that were reported in health facilities in the Region.

He said in the midst of high poverty, it was important for government to focus its attention on improving public health services to reduce the incidence of communicable diseases. The National Co-ordinator of the Brigade, Dr Hector Alvarez, expressed gratitude to the Ghana government for its support and called for increased cooperation.

He said the scientific workshops had been instituted, starting from the regional levels to provide a platform for the Cuban doctors to share their experiences and find ways to improve upon their performance. Dr Alvarez said the forum also enabled them to interact with their Ghanaian counterparts and share their knowledge. The Medical Superintendent of the Asante Mampong District Hospital, Dr Emmanuel Ahiable, who chaired the function, said Cuba, with a population of about 11 million, had one of the best health systems in the world.

He pointed out that infant mortality, which was a key indicator of development dropped in Cuba from 60 per cent per 1,000 live births in 1959 to 5.8 per cent per 1,000 live births in 2004. Dr Ahiable said with a sense of purpose "the government and people of Cuba" had also been able to eliminate malaria, poliomyelitis, neo-natal tetanus, measles and whooping cough. According to him, Ghana had a lot to learn from Cuba's experience and thanked the Cuban Medical Brigade for their invaluable services to improve the health of Ghanaians.

There are currently 20 Cuban doctors working in nine district hospitals in the Ashanti Region.