Family Planning Acceptor Rate in Eastern Region of Ghana has significantly dropped from 37% recorded from January to June 2024 to 33.6% same period of 2025 ,far below the national target of 40%.
The Regional Health Directorate alarmed by this worrying trend has called for intensified community engagement, culturally sensitive education, and improved supply chain management for contraceptives.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Family planning offers numerous benefits including helping individuals prevent unintended pregnancies and plan births, it reduces pregnancy-related health risks, particularly for adolescent girls.
Additionally,family planning enables women to pursue education and economic and employment opportunities, helping families and communities thrive.
874 million now using modern contraceptive worldwide. An additional 70 million women are projected to gain access by 2030(3).
The Eastern Regional Director of GHS Dr. Damien Punguyire believes with the right interventions the downward trend in family planning acceptor rate will be reversed for positive outlook to align with SDG 3.7, which calls for universal access to sexual and reproductive health care, including family planning.
He said this during the half year Regional Health Sector Performance Review in Koforidua.
The meeting, held in Koforidua was under the theme “Improving Access to Primary Health Care: A Pre-requisite for Achieving Universal Health Coverage”
The Health Director also noted that,Institutional Maternal Mortality Ratio increased from 116 to 117 deaths per 100,000 live births.
“This is a stark reminder that maternal health remains fragile and must be prioritized” He said.
He also stated that,Penta 3 Immunization Coverage witnessed a decline from 100% to 94.2%, signaling gaps in outreach and follow-up.
” Immunization is one of the most cost-effective interventions, and we cannot afford to backslide in this area” Dr. Damien Punguyire reminded healthworkers in the region.
Despite these challenges, the Region made significant gains in other areas.
According to the Regional Health Director, the Region maintained the 2024 institutional neonatal mortality ratio achievement of 7 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Antenatal Care (ANC) First Trimester Registration improved from 61.5% in 2024 to 64% in 2025, indicating that more expectant mothers are accessing care early—an essential step in ensuring safe motherhood.
Additionally, Stillbirth Rate reduced from 12.2/1000 births to 11.2/1000 births, now performing better than the national target of 11.5/1000 births.
Tuberclosis (TB) Case Notification Rate also Increased significantly from 82% (2024) to 89% (2025), surpassing the target of 50%.
Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Infection rate among infants born to HIV-positive mothers reduced from 2.4% (2024) to 2.1% (2025), reflecting progress in prevention efforts.
Also,under-5 Institutional Malaria Fatality Rate: Dropped from 0.03% (2024) to 0% (2025), marking a significant milestone in pediatric malaria management.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
