MOH signs MoU with development for improved health delivery

Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its development partners to ensure improved performance in the country's health sector. It included ensuring the availability of resources for implementation, monitoring and evaluating the Ministry's programme for improved health delivery.

This was the outcome of a week-long summit by the MOH and development partners led by the German Government in Accra. Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, Minister of Health designate, signed for MOH while Mr. Stig Barlyng, Danish Ambassador to Ghana signed on behalf of development partners.

Dr. Kumbuor said even though the overall performance in the health sector had improved, the Ministry had not achieved the goal five of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He said this called for strengthening of the country's emergency services, making maternal and child health issues a top priority through initiating programmes that would ensure significant drop in prevalence rate for 2010. "We need to strengthen and resource service providers to reduce maternal and neo-natal mortality, improve on childhood malnutrition and anaemia which continues to be a major threat to the health of children," Dr Kumbuor said.

Dr Kumbuor advocated for contraceptive and commodity security to ensure reduction of maternal and neo-natal mortality. He assured development partners that all concerns about service delivery would be addressed before the next meeting to evaluate performance March and April 2010. Mr. Barlyng called for close dialogue among all stakeholders to ensure that the challenges in the sector were addressed to provide improved health care delivery. 20 Nov. 09