Support Given to Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLW HA)

Dominic’s Hospital, Akwatia continue to be the sole body that supports persons with HIV/AIDS and their families. These are mainly in the form of feeding, transport cost and engaging them in social activities such as playing "Oware" draught, Ludo and Cards. Counseling services are also provided to patients.

Catholic Relief Services and the Kwaebibirem District Assembly have supported an association of people living with HIV AIDS called "in God We Trust" with seed money for income generating activities.

Population Management

The Government of Ghana in 1969 adopted a population policy titled "Population Planning for National Progress and Prosperity."New emerging concerns such as HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation, problems of the aged etc have necessitated the revision of the policy. Again the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II) 2006-2009, the country’s framework for Poverty Reduction is concerned with population issues within the context of reducing poverty among people. The District is guided by this policy in managing its population.

Fertility Regulation

To make the population manageable the District has instituted campaigns on fertility regulation to reduce the high fertility rate. All health facilities in the District are involved in fertility management especially of women aged 15-49 years. At the health facility level clients are counseled on the range of fertility regulation devices and also on the most appropriate method of family planning.

Campaigns have been organized in schools, communities and among religious groups. The Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) in Collaboration with the District Health Administration has recruited community-based distributors who issue out condoms to clients and counsel them on family planning techniques.

Health Care

The health delivery system in the Kwaebibirem District consist of 2 hospitals, 4 health centers, 3 community clinics, 1 maternity home, and 6.RCH centers and 4 CHPS centres. In addition to the above, outreach clinical activities are organized in most communities, which lack established health facilities.

The district’s doctor-population ratio is 1:118 whilst the nurse-population ratio is 1:1519. The doctor population ratio of 1:28190 is higher than the national and WHO ratios of 1:25,000 and 1:10,000 respectively. The location and management of the various health facilities are shown in table 1.22 refer to pdf file

The Mission hospital, located at Akwatia, is the most well equipped health institution in the district, which serves as a referral center for the other lower health institutions. The district has 10 medical doctors, 148 nurses, 5 medical assistants, 55 orderlies and 12 health Aides and other paramedics like laboratory technicians etc.

The threshold analysis in table 1.23 indicates that the district needs an additional 6 health centers and 22 community clinics to make the physical access to health facilities easier and most convenient. In addition to the provision of these health infrastructure, health personnel and equipment need to be increased and improved to ensure quality health delivery in the district.

It is envisaged that the Health Centre at the District Capital, Kade will be upgraded into a hospital in the near future.

Maternal and Child Health (MCHVFamily Planning (FP) Activities.

The main activities of the MCH/FP carried out in the district are geared towards child survival and development and the health of mothers. The reproductive health situation from 2001 - 2005 is shown in table 1.37 below