Despite notable improvements in key health indicators, concerns over maternal mortality and unequal access to care dominated discussions at the Eastern Region’s 2025 health performance review.
The Ghana Health Service flagged persistent disparities across communities, even as overall service delivery indicators showed steady progress.
Eastern Regional Health Director Damien Punguyire described the situation as a critical challenge, noting that while antenatal care attendance and outpatient visits had increased, not all communities were benefiting equally from these gains.
Particularly worrying, he said, was the region’s maternal mortality rate, which remains high, alongside a decline in skilled delivery coverage—an issue attributed to shortages and uneven distribution of trained health personnel, as well as infrastructure gaps in remote areas.
Health officials acknowledged that while neonatal mortality and malaria-related deaths among children have declined significantly, the failure to improve maternal outcomes threatens to undermine broader health system progress.
In response, the Directorate is shifting focus toward targeted interventions in low-performing districts, expanding Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) facilities, and increasing the deployment of midwives to underserved areas.
The region’s improved performance ranking—from moderately performing to highly performing—was welcomed, but authorities cautioned that the next phase must prioritise equity and access.
Eastern Regional Minister Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey underscored the importance of strengthening primary healthcare systems, noting that accessible, community-level services are key to improving outcomes and easing pressure on major health facilities.
Stakeholders concluded that sustaining recent gains will depend on addressing workforce shortages, improving infrastructure, and ensuring that no community is left behind in access to quality healthcare.
