THE UNICEF COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE TO GHANA CALLED ON THE UPPER WEST REGIONAL MINISTER.
Over the years, UNICEF has been supporting the Upper West Region to carry out key health interventions, particularly in the maternal and child health nutrition services including the expanded program on immunization, provision of water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, provision equipment and capacity building for health staff.
In the past two years, the focus of UNICEF support is geared towards improving access to quality maternal and newborn health services in the Upper West Region. In this regards, a number of health facilities in some selected districts have been provided with Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) equipment and capacity of staff is being built in the area of quality maternal and newborn care.
In a brief remark to the Upper West Regional Minister in his office, the country representative of UNICEF to Ghana, Anne-Claire Dufay indicated that the purpose of their visit was to officially handover some of the equipment to the health facilities, assess the status of implementation of some of the agreed projects and interact with Frontline staff and key stakeholders.
On her part, the Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih assured the team of doing everything possible within his capacity to ensure progress in the development of the region and that, the Regional Coordinating Council would not allow retrogression in the activities of the region.
He indicated that, he would ensure that the whole of Upper West Region is declared Open Defecation Free. He said, currently it is only the Upper West Region that has a district been declared Open Defecation Free in the Country. He added that it was an indication that with efforts, the entire region would be declared ODF.