Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Community-Based Health Planning and Service (CHPS+) Phase ll Project in Nalerigu, capital of the North East Region on Friday.
The collaborative project involving the governments of Ghana and Republic of Korea, with UNICEF support, seeks to improve maternal, neonatal and child health indicators through strengthening community involvement and support CHPS systems in various communities in the area.
This followed significant achievement of 10 per cent decline in institutional maternal mortality ratio, and an impressive reduction of over 50 per cent in under five mortality ratio of the first phase of the project carried out in the Upper East Region.
The project seeks to play a pivotal force in Ghana’s journey towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
Launching the project, the Director General, GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said the second phase held immense significance, as it built upon the successful implementation of the first phase, and expand its proven intervention from the Upper East Region to the North East Region.
He said the concept had undergone remarkable growth through progressive development and widespread implementation and emerged as a pivotal force in Ghana’s journey towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
“This comprehensive healthcare system has become a beacon of hope in touching the lives of countless individuals and communities by bringing health care services closer to the people,” he added.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye stated that CHPS system had effectively bridged the gap between communities and health facilities for ensuring that healthcare was readily accessible to all especially in the rural and underserved areas.
He said one of the key achievements of the CHPS was the significant expansion of essential curative and preventive integrated care which has yielded positive results in the fight against communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS through early detection and timely treatment.
“The CHPS has garnered recognition from national and international platforms as an effective model for other countries striving to achieve equitable and accessible healthcare for all while the CHPS concept has achieved considerable success,” he stated.
He said the first phase of CHPS+ Project witnessed remarkable progress and positive outcomes in implementing and establishing interventions of incorporating of tricycle ambulances and table-based health information reporting system to enhance the quality of maternal, newborn and child health services.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye added that the GHS was committed to ensuring a smooth implementation of project activities and align with new initiatives such as the Network of Practice (NoP) to strengthen the health centres and other health facilities within the sub-districts to improve coordination and service delivery in the country.
He commended KOICA for their unwavering support to the health sector of this country especially in the deprived communities and the stakeholders, staff of GHS for contributing significantly in implementing the CHPS+ Project II.
The Country Director of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Mr Seungmin Oh, said the first I of the CHPS+ Project yielded tangible and impressive outcomes from 2016 to 2021.
He said the CHPS+ Project II symbolises the unwavering commitment of the Korea government and the collaborative efforts of their partners to improve the health and wellbeing of the Ghanaian citizens.
The North East Regional Minister, Mr Yidana Zakaria, thanked KOICA and GHS for implementing the second phase of the CHPS Project in the North East Region.
FROM YAHAYA NUHU
NADAA, NALERIGU
