By Brian Atuhura

Masindi District has registered notable improvements in the delivery of health services,with several key performance indicators meeting or surpassing national targets,according to the district's Annual Health Performance Report.

The report,compiled by District Biostatistician Geoffrey Bagonza,shows strong progress in immunisation,HIV/AIDS care,tuberculosis management and maternal health services,although challenges remain in cervical cancer screening,antenatal care attendance and the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

According to the report,the Out-Patient Department(OPD)utilisation rate stood at 1.0 against a target of 1.1.
Immunisation performance remained impressive,with both DPT1 and DPT3 coverage reaching 100 percent,surpassing the target of 99 percent.

The district also recorded outstanding performance in HIV treatment,with Antiretroviral Therapy(ART)coverage standing at 99.6 percent against a target of 95 percent.However,the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission(EMTCT)of HIV scored 83 percent,falling short of the 95 percent target.

Tuberculosis case notification reached 201 cases per 100,000 population,exceeding the target of 172 cases,an indication of improved case detection and reporting.

In cancer prevention,cervical cancer screening among women aged 15 to 49 years stood at 19 percent against the target of 24 percent,while breast cancer screening reached 23 percent,narrowly missing the 24 percent target.

The report further indicates that the first antenatal care visit coverage was 86 percent,below the 95 percent target,while the fourth antenatal care visit achieved the target of 50 percent.

Health facility deliveries remained above target,with 76.7 percent of mothers delivering in health facilities compared to the target of 68 percent,reflecting continued improvement in access to skilled birth attendance.

Maternal death reviews achieved 100 percent,surpassing the target of 80 percent,while perinatal death reviews stood at 39 percent,exceeding the target of 20 percent.

Teenage pregnancy prevalence was recorded at 20 percent,better than the target threshold of 25 percent,suggesting continued progress in addressing adolescent reproductive health challenges.

Despite the gains,the report highlights the need for increased efforts to improve antenatal care attendance,expand cervical cancer screening services and strengthen interventions aimed at eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV.