The District Health Service Director for Awutu Senya in the Central Region, Mrs. Patricia Antwi, has disclosed that the killer malaria disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the area.

She made this known in her address at the 2011 Annual performance review meeting of the Service held at Awutu Beraku.

The programme was under the theme: “Strengthening the District Health System to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals”.

However in a bid to reduce malaria in the District, she mentioned that the directorate had already distributed about 100,000 treated mosquito nets to households.

According to her, the directorate had successfully established four out of the six targeted Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Zones within the year 2011.

Mrs. Antwi revealed that the directorate during its operations received support from Grameen Foundation to implement a Mobile Technology for Community Health (MoTeCH) for the health facilities in the District.

She noted that about 4,588 pregnant women in the area had so far registered under the programme, adding that a total of 3,589 out of the number had registered with the Mobile midwives to receive health education message on pregnancy and child care.

According to her the move had improved records in data management on pregnant women in the area. The Director further emphasized that the District also implemented a Nutrition and Malaria for Child Survival project in 52 communities.

She further stressed that 277 volunteers from the 52 communities had been trained to carry out frequent growth promotion session for children of 2 years. She added this was to reduce the high rate of malnutrition among children in the area.

Emmanuel Frimpong Mensah/ Ghanadistricts.com