This is as a result of the maternal health committees set up by the Regional Health Directorate to handle and tackle maternal and child health.

Dr Issah said the Directorate had upped measures and deepened collaboration with all stakeholders in the sector to achieve the universal health coverage by 2030.

Speaking at the opening session of the 2018 annual review meeting of the Directorate in Sunyani, Dr Issah said last year the Directorate made significant achievements in the health sector.

Though, he could not immediately provide figures, he said the reduction was as a result of improved skilled delivery and effective preventive measures.

It was on the theme "Attaining Universal Health Coverage through Effective Leadership and Governance', and provided opportunity for the health sector workers and partners in the region to take stock, assess their performances and devise realistic strategies to improve on their performance.

Dr Issah explained that the Directorate was determined to improve family planning acceptor rates, ante-natal and post-natal care services, and 100 per cent coverage of all child health immunisation programmes.

The Directorate would also intensify prevention and control of communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases and also ensure reduction of new HIV/AIDS and other sexually- transmitted infections.

Dr Issah was hopeful that with support from partners, the Directorate would be able to address the challenge of data management which remained a daunting task in the sector.

He praised the Municipal and District Assemblies in the region, civil society organisations and philanthropic individuals and organisations which had taken leading roles in providing quality healthcare delivery services in the region.

The Regional Director, later inaugurated the Regional Health Committee and tasked the Municipal and District Directors of Health services to ensure that similar committees were inaugurated in their areas by the end of March this year.

Dr Yao Yeboah, the Chairman of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Council said this year the Council would embark on vigorous health promotion activities and had signed performance contracts with the Regional Health Directorates to that effect.

The contract would also enable the Health Directorates to improve on their performances by ensuring that health workers respected professional standards.

 He said the Council was aware of the teething challenges, hoping that with an increase in its budgetary allocation, many of those challenges would be addressed in the course of the year.

Dr Yao acknowledged the contributions of the health workers towards quality healthcare delivery, but advised them to be guided by the GHS code of ethics and the patients' charter.  

He said the Council had printed over 170,000 copies of the code of conduct of the GHS, which would be distributed to all health workers.

Dr Patrick Kumah, Director, Family Health Division of GHS said this year was focused on expansion of  Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) Compounds in the country and leadership training for key staff and workers.

Mr. Martin Oti Gyarko, the Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, said government had resuscitated the National Health Insurance Scheme and citizens would enjoy quality healthcare delivery services and advised those who had not still registered with the scheme to do so.

He acknowledged the contributions of Health workers in spite of the teething challenges confronting the sector and commended particularly those serving in deprived areas for their meritorious services.

Mr Gyarko said discipline remained a key ingredient in health service delivery and condemned the poor attitude of some health workers towards clients and entreated managers and administrators in the sector to punish indiscipline workers.