Ghana Health Service signs MoU with 7 companies

9th Aug 2024 | Source: BusinessGhana

The Ghana Health Service's Health Promotion Division has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with seven private sector organizations, securing a total investment of GHC 4.2 million cedis for health interventions. The seven partners who signed the MoU were Azar Chemicals Limited, Nim Avenue Hotel, and media groups Radio Justice, Skyy Media Group, EIB Network and Multimedia Group.

This partnership marks a significant step in engaging private companies in health promotion across Ghana, with 56 pledges of commitment received from potential partners.

According to the Acting Director of the Health Promotion Division, Mabel Kissiwah Asafo, partnering with the private sector was a "winning opportunity" to support health promotion activities in Ghana. "The health sector cannot do it all, it needs everybody to come onboard," she emphasized.

The partnerships would also support social and behavior change activities, focusing on key areas such as Malaria, Water, Sanitation and Health, Maternal and Child Health, Family Planning, and Sexual Reproductive Health. The partners would provide both monetary and resources, including community health facility renovations, logistical support, and significant media airtime for health-focused TV and radio programs.

Prof. Elsie Effah Koffman, Head of the Inter-Coordinating Committee for Health Promotion (ICC-HP), highlighted the importance of education and health promotion in improving Ghana's well-being. She identified the review meeting as a step in the right direction, emphasizing the need for coordination among stakeholders to maximize resources.

Mr. Ebenezer Kyere Mensah of the Accelerating Social and Behavior Change

(ASBC ) highlighted their activities which aims at contributing to an increase in the sustained adoption of health behaviors and practices, including timely use of health services and products.

The initiative focuses on building capacity for evidence-based social and behavior change interventions.

Dr. Naziru Tanko Mohammed, the Deputy Program Manager, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), highlighted the significant impact of vaccines in saving lives, with 154 million lives saved over the past 50 years. He emphasized the crucial role of vaccines in reducing infant deaths and eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases. However, he also pointed out challenges facing Ghana's immunization program, stressing the need for support to address these challenges.