GIZ implements three-year pandemic management projects in Ghana

The German Development Cooperation (GIZ) has successfully concluded two pandemic management projects implemented in Ghana over the past three years.

Funded through the develoPPP programme on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and executed by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in collaboration with nine private partners, the projects have recorded notable achievements.

The close-out event served as a platform to reflect on these accomplishments, hear testimonies from beneficiaries, and engage project partners in the future of health resilience in Ghana.

In an interview, Dr Holger Till, Team Lead of the develoPPP Ghana programme at GIZ, highlighted the overall success of the projects and the importance of the public-private partnership that powered them.

The two initiatives aimed to address pandemic preparedness and response, particularly in communities linked to Ghana’s industrial sectors. The projects were designed with an emphasis on public-private collaboration, partnering with entities from both the mining and non-mining sectors, as well as governmental bodies like the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Health, and the National Health Insurance Authority.

Additionally, academic institutions contributed research and knowledge to strengthen local health systems. Dr. Till noted that a key focus was on employee health and community wellness: “A healthy worker is a productive worker,” he remarked, underscoring the projects’ aim to support employees, their families, and surrounding communities.

Professor Richard Fobil, the Director of the Africa Centre for Geo-Health at the University of Ghana, elaborated on the impact of the two initiatives.

“We set the foundation for escalation. We have built community trust, mobilised people, and taught them skills. Beyond these skills, we have shown them how to identify key symptoms of health threats,” he said.

He emphasised that the approach extended beyond short-term engagement, with efforts to build lasting relationships and ongoing support among health leaders, local leaders, and community stakeholders.

Prof Fobil also highlighted the sustainability of the projects, citing the training of trainers within local assemblies as a step toward long-term impact.

“The plan is not to end there. The plan is to actually continue engagement with our partners and communities. The collaborations will continue, and we hope to scale it up so that more people can benefit from such initiatives.”

Notably, he shared that community leaders who were trained through the programme had expressed confidence in their ability to continue and expand upon the work that had been established.

The projects’ achievements are significant. “More than one million people were reached over the past three years, with measurable improvements in health outcomes,” Dr. Till reported.

He further outlined the importance of working with the private sector, public agencies, and civil society to maximise impact.

“The lesson we’ve learned is that the concept of collaboration across sectors is key to success,” he stated.

Community selection for the projects was carried out by the project implementation team, prioritising areas around companies to maximise the reach within Ghana’s industrial regions. Dr. Till noted that there was an equitable distribution of resources across the northern, central, and southern regions of Ghana.

As GIZ closes out these projects, the organisation emphasised that their impact extends beyond immediate pandemic management. By fostering collaboration between private and public sectors and empowering local communities, these initiatives have laid a foundation for resilient healthcare systems in Ghana’s industrial regions.