Kadjebi records increases in teenage pregnancy, HIV cases
The Kadjebi District in the Oti Region has recorded 392 teenage pregnancies at the close of 2021, representing 1.9 per cent increase as compared to 356 pregnancies in the same period in 2020.
Mr Eric Nana Takyi, Kadjebi District Director of Health Services, who disclosed this during the 2021 Annual Performance Review meeting at Kadjebi, said the adolescent sexually active girl-child must be educated on safe sex.
He named inadequate parental support and open communication regarding sexuality issues, poverty, dominance of abstinence as the only dogma in sex-education package in schools and the growing use of television and social media as some of the factors contributing to the increase in teenage pregnancy cases.
The district also recorded 1,867 skilled deliveries in 2021 compared to 1,691 skilled deliveries in 2020, while Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) delivery was zero in 2021 against 13 in 2020.
There were 25 still birth delivery cases in 2021, down from 28, the year before.
He said the district saw increases in HIV cases in 2021, recording 94 positive cases out of 9,600 clients compared with 88 cases in 2020 out of 9,994 clients tested.
He said that of positive pregnant women for 2021 was 34 cases with 2020 recording 31 cases.
Mothers currently on ARVs were 89 including 20 in 2019, 34 in 2020 and 35 in 2021.
In all, there are 3,967 patients, including 1,083 males and 2,884 females, on ART.
The District Director of Health Services commended the Moslem community in Ahamansu for their immense contribution to healthcare delivery in the town and its environs.
He said they single-handedly renovated the Ahamansu Health Centre and provided it with a borehole and challenged the other communities in the district to emulate them.
Mr Nana Takyi named staff deficit, inadequate staff accommodation and office space, inadequate motorbikes, among others, as challenges confronting health care delivery.
Madam Sophia Senam Zoryiku, the District Public Health Nurse, advised parents to ensure that their adolescent girl’s needs were provided and loved at home.
Madam Zoryiku said the bye-laws must be enforced by traditional authorities to punish men who impregnate adolescent girls.
She appealed to the public to come for HIV testing for them to know their status since testing and treatment is free and those tested positive should adhere to treatment regime.
Madam Zoryiku said the use of condoms for dual protection and faithfulness to each other would also help in reducing the rate of infection in the district.
Mr Derick Atitsu, the District Disease Control Officer, said the office mandate was to investigate all suspected cases of public health, monitor priority diseases and other cases, collect and collate data on communicable diseases, among others.
He said the district recorded 125 COVID-19 positive cases; including 43 cases out of 534 tested in 2020 and 82 cases out of 910 tested in 2021 with one death.
He appealed to the citizenry to help reduce COVID-19 infections in the country by observing the preventive and safety protocols and getting vaccinated.
Alhaji Abdul Salam Sam Yabara, the Deputy Imam for Ahamansu Zone, thanked the Health Directorate for the recognition and called on heads of various communities in the district to help develop the district since the government could not do everything for them.
He said they were ready to support other health facilities in the district provided they approached them for help.
Alhaji Yabara said they were currently in possession of a brand-new motorbike to be handed over to the Ahamansu Health Centre to aid their work.
There were presentations from Administration, Health Information, Accounts, Mental Health and Nutrition Units.
Source: GNA