Accra, July 2, GNA – The Japan government is collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support Ghana to manage COVID-19 and future pandemics.
The $1,832,736 project, christened, “Strengthening Community Health System to Support the Continuity of Essential Services for the Vulnerable During and Post Pandemic of COVID-19,” started in March 2021 and expected to end in March 2022.
The project will provide 5 under-resourced health facilities and Urban CHPS in Ga Central and Accra Metro with relevant medical equipment to enhance service delivery, development of a digital tool to provide psychosocial support for persons living with HIV.
The rest are the provision of mobile laboratories at four points of entries- Aflao, Elubo, Tema and Paga to strengthen case detection and management for COVID-19 and future health public emergencies and the development of a digital tool to strengthen non-communicable diseases response within communities.
Mr Tsutomu Himeno, Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, said the Japan government supported the project to empower the health of the citizenry to be fit and contribute to the development of the nation.
He stated that Japan would continue with the bilateral relationship with Ghana in other sectors of the economy to contribute to the growth of the West African sub-region.
The Ambassador said since the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, the pandemic had disrupted all aspects of life including the delivery of routine health services vulnerable including women and children.
This menace, he said, necessitated the need for Japan to strengthen national capacities to respond effectively to pandemics.
Ms Tina Gifty Mensah, Deputy Minister of Health, thanked Japan for funding the project and the continuous support towards the Universal Health Coverage in the country.
She said government would continue to invest in the health sector in spite of its economic constraints because “health is a major contributor to wealth creation”.
The Deputy Minister said Ghana’s National COVID-19 Response Plan (2020-2-24) goal was to reduce the incidence and mortality of the pandemics and the negative impact on the socio-economic lives of the people.
“Supporting the continuity of essential health services to address malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases will be critical if Ghana was to attain the Sustainable Development Goal three of ending epidemics by 2030”, she said.
Dr Angela Lusigi, UNDP Resident Representative, said the project was timely, in working to restore the resilience of Ghana’s health system because the pandemic had not only changed our way of life, but disrupted health systems and health seeking behaviors.
“It is important to balance a robust epidemic response with strengthened mechanisms for continued service provision for the vulnerable during a pandemic to improve the country’s health system”, she said.
GNA