By Samira Larbie
Accra, March 27, GNA – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID and Total Family Health Organisation (TFHO), a Ghanaian social marketing organisation, have launched two new healthcare products to support adolescents, women, and children in Ghana.
The products include Secure Sanitary Pads and ORAplus, an oral rehydration solution containing salts, sugar, and zinc, for children suffering from diarrhoea and dehydration.
The Secure Sanitary Pads are ultra-thin, and long, have wings for fitting, and have high absorbency, 12 pads per pack and are sold in packs of two while a pack of ORAplus contains two sachets of ORS for reconstitution in 500ml, has three flavours, and 10 scored tablets of zinc.
Dr Zohra Balsara, USAID/Ghana Health Office Director, speaking at the launch and the closeout of the USAID and TFHO Health Marketing Activity, was optimistic that the products would provide affordable solutions for basic health and hygiene needs as part of USAID’s commitment to empowering people to make healthy life decisions.
“The private sector has a huge role to play in supporting Ghanaians’ health. We are excited to see these high-quality, low-cost items enter the market and be available to Ghanaians,” she added
In Ghana, diarrhoea illness is the fourth primary cause of death among young children. ORAplus is a co-package of oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc, which provides optimum treatment for children suffering from diarrhoea and dehydration.
Mr Joseph Addo-Yobo, the Executive Director of TFHO, said that was the first time in Ghana that the two products were packaged together, in line with global health evidence-based best practices and locally manufactured for TFHO by Phyto-Riker Pharmaceutical Ltd.
He explained that affordable menstrual hygiene supplies were critical for adolescent girls’ and women’s health and empowerment.
“Secure Sanitary Pad is a high-quality, comfortable, absorbent, locally manufactured menstrual pad targeted at adolescent girls and young women.
The Secure pads will provide girls in schools an affordable menstrual hygiene solution to ensure they do not miss days in school and working women do not miss days of work,” the Executive Director emphasised.
Mr Addo-Yobo said the products were built on TFHO’s existing socially marketed suite of products in Ghana, including the Sato Pan, the Secure contraceptive pill, and the highly popular Ebony condoms.
Since October 2022, over 7.5 million Ebony condoms have been sold and distributed to date.
TFHO’s partnerships have expanded to target specific populations in need, including a partnership to bring family planning services to fishing communities, among whom teenage pregnancies are especially high, in the Western, Central, Greater Accra, and Volta regions.
He said the TFHO was one of the first Ghanaian organisations to receive direct funding from the United States Government.
TFHO’s first USAID-supported activity started in 2020, with a focus on social marketing and improving health services.
Dr Claudette A. Diogo, the National Family Planning and Logistic Manager/ Pharmacist Ghana Health Service, expressed excitement about the collaboration with TFHO and other partners.
She said the event marked a pivotal moment as the Ghana Health Marketing Activity closed out and welcomed a new project from USAID.
Dr Diogo said, “We are proud of the successes the TFHO has chalked, and we are hopeful that with the lessons learnt, they would do better in the new project.”
The National Family Planning and Logistic Manager/ Pharmacist said that the launch of the new products was an assurance that adolescents and children were not left behind, saying “this is a holistic approach, and no one is left behind rather access to general healthcare is established”.
The United States is Ghana’s largest bilateral development donor. In 2023, USAID’s bilateral development assistance totaling over $140 million was dedicated to supporting health, economic growth, agriculture, education, governance, and security in Ghana.
GNA