The Western Region is probably the richest area in Ghana so far as mineral deposits are concerned. Some of the minerals found in the region and their locations are:

·         Gold                      -           Tarkwa, Aboso, Prestea, Bogoso,

Bibiani, Chirano and several other places.

·         Diamond              -           Bonsa Basin

·         Manganese         -           Nsuta

·         Bauxite                -           Awaso           

·         Limestone           -           Nauli (Half Assini)

·         Iron Ore                -           Oppon Valley

·         Glass Sands       -           Tarkwa

 

The concentration of high forest accounts for the large number of timber firms in the region. Western Region leads in the production of timber in the country, producing an average of about 42% of Ghana’s timber annually.

 

The HIRD approach combines the key principles of vision and data-driven methods to develop a plan for attaining universal (at least 90%) coverage for interventions which have proven to have a high impact on maternal and child mortality.

To achieve universal coverage one needs to ensure that interventions are available and utilised by all those who need them 

Since the middle of 2007, under the HIRD approach, the Western region has gone through several stages of HIRD planning and implementation 

a) Stakeholders’ sensitisation, situational analysis, planning and budgeting meeting at Busua from 25 to 28 June 2007

b)) Release of first tranche of funds from the National level in October 2007

c)) Plan prioritisation meeting at Aboadze on 26 October 2007

d) Release of funds from the Regional to the district level late October 2007

e) Initial implementation of HIRD activities in districts

f) Regional review meeting on HIRD in December 2007.

g) Continuation of implementation of HIRD activities

h) Regional monitoring of activities in districts in December 2007

i) Dissemination of findings of Regional monitoring trips at 2007 Annual review in February 2008

j) Three rounds of Activity Monitoring and two rounds of financial monitoring trips to all districts from teams from the National level in 2008

k) Periodic release of further funds from the Regional to district level

l) Collation of HIRD plans from the district level

m) Collation of quarterly updates from districts

n) Regional Monitoring of HIRD activities in districts

 

 

Outpatient attendance registered in 2009 was 2,535,149 which showed an increase 15.7% over 2008 attendance of 2,190,361. Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis contributed the highest outpatient attendance of 436,271(17.2%) of the regional total excluding the regional hospital (Effia Nkwanta) contribution of 131,235 (5.2%) of the regional total. The second highest contribution was Tarkwa- Nsuaem 334,013 (13.2%), with Sefwi Akontombra contributing the least 43,597 (1.7%) but higher than the previous years.

Outpatient attendance per capita recorded in 2009 was 0.99 which showed an increase of 0.11 over 2008 per capita of 0.88. Five districts (Bibiani A. Bekwai, Sefwi Wiawso, STMA including the regional hospital, Tarkwa Nsuaem and Ellembele) all recorded per capita of more than one (1) during the period. Axim district which registered per capita of 1.16 in 2008 decreased to 0.58 in 2009. Tarkwa-Nsuaem registered the highest (2.25) in the region whilst the lowest was Bia district (0.44).

Hospital admissions were 115,958 in 2009 which showed an increase of 15.2% over 2008 (100,689), there had been a gradual increase of admissions over the past three years.

Admission rate per 1,000 population increased from 37.70 in 2008 to 45.38 in 2009. The highest rate was registered in Sefwi Wiawso (144.22) whilst the lowest was in Shama district (4.07). Bia and Sefwi Akontombra do not have admitting facilities.

 

Table: Malaria case fatality rate, 2007-2009