The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with seven private sector organizations to support health promotion activities. The partnership, unveiled during the National Inter-Agency Coordination Committee for Health Promotion (ICC-HP) annual review meeting held in Accra, marks a major step forward in mobilizing resources for health interventions nationwide.
The seven Ghanaian private sector organizations—Azar Chemical, Nim Avenue Hotel, Radio Justice, Skyy Media Group, Multimedia Group, EIB Takoradi, and Zoomlion—have collectively pledged to invest a total of 4.2 million cedis into various health promotion initiatives. This investment is set to strengthen efforts in key areas including malaria prevention, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections, and the fight against infectious diseases.
Mabel Kissiwah Asafo, Acting Director of the Health Promotion Division at GHS, lauded the private sector for its commitment to supporting public health efforts. She highlighted the importance of focusing on critical health issues that require increased public awareness and engagement to encourage healthier lifestyles among Ghanaians.
“We have seen a tremendous outpouring of support, and we believe there are many more private actors poised to contribute to support public health initiatives in the country. Their involvement is a crucial step towards our unwavering commitment to achieving sustainable health outcomes for all Ghanaians,” she said.
Prof. Elsie Effah Kauffman, Chairperson of the ICC-HP, underscored the committee’s role in coordinating health promotion activities across the country for maximum impact. Since its inauguration in July 2023, she said the committee has made significant strides in raising awareness on various health issues, including anthrax, rabies, and food safety.
“One key thing which we have started from the Memorandum of Understanding you saw is to bring in the private sector to work with the GHS promotion division to propagate this strategy that we have in place and to make sure everybody is on board and doing the same things, saying the same things so that we have a harmonious message we are presenting to the Ghanaian public,” she stated.
The partnership between the GHS and these private sector entities represents a promising development in the fight to improve public health in Ghana. By pooling resources and expertise, the initiative aims to create a more robust and responsive health promotion system that can effectively address the diverse health challenges facing the nation.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Accra|Ghana
