Ghana Unlikely To Attain MDGs

The minister of Health Sherry Aryeetey has cautioned Ghana may not be able to attain the Millennium Development Goals targets by 2015. The minister attributed her claim to challenges relating to limited resources, inadequate skilled manpower, huge disparities among regions and districts in terms of geographical and financial access, which have brought a shortfall in healthcare delivery. The Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6 seek to promote good healthcare and a reduction in maternal and neonatal deaths. Ghana has made some strides in health care delivery, having made gains in the areas of immunization coverage, guinea worm, polio and measles. There are still some challenges in the health sector and this affects efforts to bring total healthcare delivery to citizens. Ghana in the past has been a point of reference for other countries in the sub-region regarding her plans for achieving the MDGs. But it seems this has now become a mirage since professionals say those countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Togo are now at par with Ghana. For the efforts of the Ghana Health Service to be meaningful, interventions at the grass root levels should be strengthened through the various district directors of health services. The minister of health, Sherry Aryeetey, at the 21st annual conference of District Directors of Health services said, the performance at the community levels holds the key to achieving the MDGs. The current state of neonatal deaths and maternal mortality is quite high and the GHS says it is going to engage the private sector in ensuring the situation is drastically reduced. The District Directors of Health Services Group is the barometer by which the public measures the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service. Their main objective is to advice district Assemblies on health matters and spearhead the implementation of policies for the benefit of the citizenry. The group has done a lot, but certain constraints are hampering their efforts. The DDHS Group is appealing to government to give logistical support to aid their operations.