By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi, Aug. 10, GNA – Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has called on stakeholders to do more to improve public health as a means of strengthening resilience of health systems.
He said it was important to deliberate on how best to build resilient health systems giving the experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a far-reaching impact on society.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye made the call at the opening of the 2023 public health conference in Kumasi in the Ashanti region, on the theme: “The Role of Public Health in Strengthening Health Systems Resilience.”
The three-day conference is being attended by participants including representatives from the Coalition of Non-Governmental Oganisations (NGOs) in Health, Private Practitioners of Ghana, Specialised Laboratories, and Development Partners from across the country.
The discussions would include topics such as the management of recent outbreaks in Ghana, how to build a resilient health system against future pandemics and the elimination of malaria from Ghana.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye, said the conference sought to examine the role of public health in Ghana’s health system, to strengthen preparation towards future pandemics.
Again, the theme and timing of the conference were appropriate following the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recent declaration on the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency, he said.
The Director General said after the declaration, the Service had the opportunity to reflect on issues, identified key lessons during the pandemic which would inform actions to be taken to strengthen the country’s health systems.
“It must not be lost on us how vital the role of public health is, if we are to build a more resilient health system,” Dr Kuma emphasised.
He was happy that in the last two years as the Service battled the global pandemic, the health system remained resilient enough to respond to several other public health outbreaks such as Lassa fever, Marburg virus, and monkeypox, without compromising the ability to provide essential services.
He underlined the need to double up preventive efforts towards eliminating malaria in Ghana, with about 20 per cent of out-patient cases in health facilities attributable to the illness.
Dr Francis Kasolo, the WHO Country Representative, said a functional health system was one that had the capacity to ensure access to quality essential services demanded by beneficiaries, especially in emergency situations.
“The provision of public health services contributes importantly to the way we build and invest in our health systems,” he noted.
Dr Kasolo said WHO was committed to supporting Ghana in building a resilient health system and urged all stakeholders to put their shoulders to the wheel to improve overall health outcomes in the country.
Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, said the COVID-19 outbreak and the challenges associated with it offered the opportunity to build a resilient health system.
He stressed the need to strengthen the building blocks of the health system by developing new strategies to address access and equality issues through continues and sustained capacity building around public health practice.
GNA