USAID Refurbishes Five Model CHPS Compounds in The Ashanti Region

The United States Agency International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Services (GHS) has refurbished five Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) in five selected districts of Ashanti to the tune of GH¢100,000.00.

The beneficiary communities were Anansu-Atwima-Mponua, Narniekrom; Ahafo Ano South, Numesua in the Ahafo Ano North, Adobesu; Sekyere Afram Plains and Nkujoa in the Sekyere Central districts.

This brings to eight the number of CHPS compounds refurbished in the region in partial fulfilment of the five-year USAID-funded Maternal and Child Survival Programme (MCSP).

Mr Pius Affipunga, MSCP/ CHPS Senior Technical Specialist, who spoke on behalf of Karen Caldwell, Director of MCSP-Ghana, said, the initiative formed part of the United Nations government’s agenda to promote primary health care in distant and deprived communities.

He explained that through a fixed amount award, MCSP was working closely with GHS to provide technical and financial support to five focal regions, which would include Ashanti, the rest would be Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Upper East and Upper East, saying that, USAID/ MSCP were committed to supporting GHS/ CHPS compound in the country.

A short but impressive ceremony held at Anansu in the Atwima-Mponua district attracted health officials, traditional leaders, members of the communities and other stakeholders.

Some of the equipment used for the refurbishment were dressing instruments, home visiting instruments, emergency delivery instruments, detention beds and furniture.

Dr Emmanuel Kwadwo Tinkorang, the Regional Health Director, who was at the ceremony said, in the quest to achieve good health and the wellbeing of individuals as stipulated Sustainable Development Goals -3 (SDG3), Ghana is using CHPS as one of the strategies to render basic health services to inhabitants at communities and household levels.

CHPS zones, he added, were in line with local government demarcated electoral areas and Ashanti had been divided into 1,114 CHPS zones out of which 160 have service delivery and residential structures called CHPS compounds.

The compounds are mostly in deprived communities, where access to basic health service is very low.

He said, contrary to the assertion that the region was endowed with health facilities; it had most of the facilities concentrated in the urban areas.

Over 50 percent of the inhabitants live in rural areas with accessible quality basic health, adding that some of the CHPS lacked the basic medical equipment to render optimum care per their levels.

He commended USAID/MCSP for equipping the five compounds as model CHPS in the selected districts, stating that it was in line with the region’s strategy to provide quality and accessible health care to all people irrespective of where they live to prevent morbidities and mortalities, especially, among children under five and pregnant women.

Dr Tinkorang noted that USAID/MCSP had been helpful to the region over the past two years in CHPS implementation services.

He called for the support of the community as he said the items alone would not guarantee the success of the CHPS compounds.

Source: GNA