BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO
ISABEL province has made a remarkable success in eliminating Malaria, says the Deputy Premier to the Provincial government, Tony Vahia.
Vahia echoed this at the recent commemoration of the Grereo festival held in Honiara last week.
“The province has made some remarkable success and one of those is eliminating malaria in the province,” he said.
Vahia stressed that the provincial government has also spent the PCDF funding, 22 percent of the total expenditure is being spent on improving the Isabel health sector.
He stressed in terms of health situation in the province, infant mortality remains high at 16 babies dying during birth to every 1000 births, while 70 percent of deaths are Non-communicable Disasters (NCDs) related and we have the highest record of girl’s death due to cervical cancer.
“To reduce these preventable deaths, the province has managed to improve water supply with 90percent access provincial wide, however access to improved sanitation remains a challenge and it lags at only six percent access,” Vahia said.
He adds with the alarms of the COVID-19 pandemic, budget reallocation has impacted their general services to the people. However, preparation of Buala hospital and various rural clinics throughout the provinces are well underway.
