Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Mr. Seugmin Oh, Dr. Abdulai Abukari and Yidana Zakaria at the launch of the KOICA CHPS Phase II Project
The Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, has launched the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) CHPS Phase II project in Nalerigu in the North East Region.
The Comprehensive Community-Based Primary Health Care Strengthening Project is made possible through the collaboration of the Government of Ghana and the Republic of Korea with the support of UNICEF to improve maternal, neonatal and child health indicators through strengthening community involvement and support CHPS system, improve the quality of maternal, neonatal and child health services at health facilities as well as strengthen health system environment.
Dr. Kuma Aboagye, at the launch, indicated that the evolution of CHPS into a vital component of primary healthcare in Ghana has contributed to improving health outcomes, reducing maternal and child mortality and in the pursuit of improved health outcomes.
“CHPS has successfully implemented various initiatives focused on health promotion and disease prevention. One of the key achievements of CHPS is 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,” he stated.
According to him, 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, adding that the CHPS concept has achieved considerable success, there are ongoing efforts to enhance and refine the system continually.
Dr. Aboagye revealed that the first phase of the CHPS project witnessed remarkable progress and positive outcomes by implementing established interventions like the incorporation of tricycle ambulances and tablet-based health information reporting systems, which enhanced the quality of maternal, newborn, and child health services.
“The project strongly emphasised strengthening health systems through leadership training, facilitative supervision, and digitising health information systems. The evaluation outcomes demonstrated the practicality and effectiveness of accelerating CHPS coverage in the intervention zones and provided encouraging evidence of positive improvements in the coverage of key maternal health services in the Upper East Region,” he stressed.
He noted that the second phase of the project will seek to enhance community engagement and support for CHPS, improve the quality of maternal, newborn, and child health services at health facilities, and strengthen the health system environment.
He assured that the Ghana Health Service remains committed to ensure a smooth implementation of project activities and align with new initiatives such as the Network of Practices (NoP) which will strengthen the health centres and other healthcare facilities within the sub-district and improve coordination and service delivery.
“As we begin the second phase of the KOICA CHPS+ Project, let’s keep our goal in mind: to enhance the health and well-being of our people. I urge everyone, from community members to health workers, to actively join and work together in this endeavour. Together, we’ll overcome challenges, strengthen our health system, and ensure quality primary healthcare for all,” he added.
The KOICA Country Director, Mr. Seugmin Oh, said the project main goal seeks to improve primary healthcare delivery in the Upper East and the North East regions through Community-Based Primary Health Care (CBPHC) and Health System Strengthening (HSS) approaches with a focus on CHPS.
BY Eric Kombat, Nalerigu