UE/R: SOCO PROJECT FACILITATORS URGED TO WORK HARD FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT – DCE NABDAM
By – Peter Agengre
Institutional Maternal Mortality Ratio in the Upper East Region has reduced from 110.9 percent per 100,000 live births in 2016 to 98 percent per 100,000 live births in 2021 and then to 76.7 percent per 100,000 live births in 2023. Similarly, neonatal mortality rate has also reduced from 6.8 percent per 1000 live births in 2016 to 4.9 percent per 1000 live births in 2023.
The Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Samuel Boakye-Boateng made these revelations when KOICA and UNICEF in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service handed over some items to community health volunteers in Bolgatanga.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and UNICEF in collaboration with Ghana Health Service are implementing KOICA CHPS + Phase II project in the Upper East and North East Regions after successful implementation of the project phase I in 2020. Maternal and child health issues are the core objectives of this project.
Community health volunteers have been identified as integral parts in the execution of the project, because of the mobilization and organization activities they conduct at the community level with regard to implementation of health programmes.
As part of the project components, items including mobile phones, raincoats, Willington boots bicycles and others have been procured for the volunteers to enhance their activities. Some motorbikes have been procured to support community health officers while the Health Directorate received two Toyota Hilux pickups to support in their operations.
The Upper East Regional Director of Health Services Dr. Samuel Boakye-Boateng indicated that the Upper East Region has become a haven for best practices as far as CHPS implementation is concerned.
He said KOICA has been the longest partner in terms equipment support and has significantly contributed to the success of CHPS implementation in the Upper East Region. He assured KOICA and UNICEF of a good working relationship to improve the health of the people.
The Country Director for KOICA Mr. Donghyun Lee touted the efforts of health care professionals and community health volunteers for the success of the CHPS + Phase I project. The Upper East Regional Minister Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih commended KOICA and UNICEF for their continuous support to the health sector in the region.
He assured the International Agencies that the items received would be put to good use. Some of the community health volunteers are drawn from the Bolgatanga Municipal, Talensi, Nabdam and Bongo Districts. When they spoke to GBCNews, the mentioned that the items were going to be useful to them especially working in the night and the rainy seasons.
The goal of the Phase 2 project is to improve maternal, neonatal and child health in the Upper East Region through CHPS strengthening, with the outcomes of strengthening community involvement and supporting the CHPS system, improving the quality of Maternal and Neonatal Child Health service at health facilities and strengthening the health system environment.
Source – gbcuraonline.com
