Northern Regional directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has advised nursing mothers to always wash their hands before breastfeeding their babies.
The service said it has observed that dirty environment congenital, tetanus and Asphyxia and infections are the major causes of new born deaths in Ghana.
The directorate also urged expectant mothers to always visit health facilities to avoid complications which sometimes results to the death of babies.
The directorate said it is not happy about the loss of new born babies in the region and entreated all to encourage women to always deliver in the health facilities.
Briefing the media on infant and child health mortality rate in Tamale, the Acting Northern Regional Director of Ghana Health Service, Dr Jacob Mahama said, the directorate has built capacity of health personnel, trained midwives, volunteers and mother-mother support groups in the communities to help curb the situation.
He said health workers in the northern region are the most hardworking in spite of the human resources and logistical challenges confronting them in their quest to provide adequate healthcare service to the people and calls for more support in the sector.
Dr Jacob Mahama said unlike Accra where health personnel travel short distance and also attend to fewer patients, health personnel in the north travel long distance and attend to several patients.
He therefore urged the public to bear with health personnel when they are not satisfied with the way and manner they are being treated at the health facilities.
Dr Jacob Mahama told journalists that, with the support of donors several measures have been put in place to address new born deaths in the region.
He commended donor partners such as JICA and UNICEF for their continue support of health sector in the region.
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