The Upper East Region recorded 15 maternal deaths in the first half of 2022, a marginal improvement over the 24 maternal deaths in the first half of 2021.
The region also recorded two confirmed cases of Monkeypox disease, with one death.
Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Emmanuel Dzotsi disclosed this at the 2022 half-year performance review, on the theme: The Role of Quality Data in Improving Service Delivery Outcomes.
“Although we aimed at zero maternal deaths, the situation of the maternal deaths had a marginal improvement over the period as it fell from 24 in 2021 to 15 deaths in 2022 half year, resulting in an institutional maternal mortality rate of 114.1/100,000 live births in the half year 2021 to 75.2/100,000 live births in the first half of 2022.
“The region was not spared of the new pandemic, the Monkeypox disease, as the region suspected 11 cases with two confirmed cases including one death from the Bolgatanga Municipality”.
Dr. Dzotsi, stated that the region has one active COVID-19 case in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and has cumulatively recorded a total of 63 COVID-19 deaths out of a total of 1,801 confirmed cases since 2020.
He said, a total of 387,969 persons in the region have been vaccinated against the disease and thus admonished the remaining 47.4% of the population to immediately take their jab.
Dr. Dzotsi, added that the region made significant gains in preventing stillbirths, tuberculosis detection and treatment and mother-to-child transmission of HIV infections reduction.
The region also maintained zero malaria fatality for under 5 children.