Speaking at the function, Mrs Getrude O. Ananse-Baiden, Country Manager of Partnership for Child Development , a Non Governmental Organization(NGO), said the project is aimed at bringing on board all the school health programmes on one platform to run one comprehensive school health programme that could reach every child.

She said the project is being funded by the World Bank in collaboration with Global Partnership for Education and it is being implemented by Sight Savers, an NGO and Partnership for Child Development.

She said the project is being piloted in the Denkyenbuo District in Ghana and if proven successful it is expected to be scaled up to other districts in the country. Mrs Ananse-Baiden said the project is expected to “demonstrate the feasibility of integrated school health intervention, document the best practices in implementation of school health progrmmes and to identify the gaps in the implantation of school health interventions in Ghana”.

She said the project is expected to end up in deworming all pupils in the Denkyenbuo District, conduct eye screening services and provide free eye glasses to pupils and teachers who may require them. Mrs Ananse-Baiden said the Denkyenbuo District was chosen for the pilot project because  findings from  Ghana Health Service indicate that the district is endemic  for  soil transmitted worms in the country.