Maternal mortality reduced from 250 deaths per 100, 00 live births in 2008 to 152 per 100,000 live births in 2009 while supervised delivery also improved from 48 per cent in 2008 to 51 per cent in 2009 in the Eastern Region. The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, told a ‘Meet-the-Press’ function on Thursday that childhood immunization coverage for measles increased from 94.7 per cent in 2008 to 96.3 per cent in 2009 and the region had not recorded any death from measles since 2008 and any poliomyelitis case since 2003. He said records showed that there was increase in non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes in the region. Pointing to the state of road network in the locality, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said a contractor awarded the contract to construct the Nsawam/Aburi road had abandoned the project and so the contract is being repackaged to be re-awarded. He appealed to the Ministry of Roads and Highway to urgently consider the reconstruction of the Suhum/Asamankese road and the Akyem Oda/New Abirim road. Source: GNA