A four-day workshop on the World Bank sponsored health component of Promoting Partnership With Traditional Authorities Project (PPTAP) has opened in Kumasi.
The workshop is designed to build the capacity of the participants that comprised chiefs, queen mothers and other beneficiaries of the project.
Topics being treated at the workshop include: Classification and Overview of Specific Diseases, Nutrition, Family Planning, Breast Feeding, Signs and Symptoms of HIV/AIDS, caring for People Living With HIV/AIDS,
Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, the Ashanti Regional Minister, who is the Chairman of the Oversight Committee on the PPTAP, said the objective of the project was to enhance effective and sustainable partnership between the Government, the World Bank and the traditional authorities in disadvantaged and remote rural areas.
He announced that a 4.5 million- dollar grant had been committed to the project to be completed by June 2006.
Mr Boafo said the objective of the basic health consultancy aspect of the project, was to help traditional leaders to effectively get involved in achieving the health component of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy.
The Strategy seeks to reduce HIV transmission, ill-health and the mortality rate from malaria and diarrhoeal cases and to improve upon family planning coverage, and tuberculosis case detection.
Mr Ernest Y. Kwarteng, The Regional Coordinating Director, said the initial agreement for the commencement of the project was a loan facility but through hard work and negotiations from the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, it was later transformed into a grant.
"This is an indication of the confidence reposed in Nananom by our development partners."
Mr K.K. Mensah, the Project Manager, said 40 communities had been selected for the project on pilot basis.