US and Ghana governments launch largest partnership to improve health services
The governments of Ghana and the United States (US) have launched a five-year $25 million partnership to improve health services in the country.
In a press release copied to Ghana Business News, the US Embassy in Accra says the Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement will support the Ghana Health Service to improve the quality of primary health care delivery at community health facilities (CHPS) and health centers.
“USAID will provide $18.8 million in funding while the GHS is expected to contribute $6.2 million over five years. This is USAID and Ghana’s largest G2G agreement in the health sector to date,” it said.
Commenting on the agreement, Kimberly Rosen, USAID-Ghana Mission Director said: “Investments in health pay back dividends for generations. The partnership we announced today will help provide quality services to all Ghanaians, no matter where they live or how much they can afford to pay.”
On his part, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service said: “We believe that this support is going to help us to continue to provide quality care and also enhance our patient experience through the network of practice as we march towards achieving universal health coverage.”
According to the release, this five-year agreement aligns with Ghana’s health objectives, including the Universal Health Coverage Roadmap (2020-2030).
According to the terms of the agreement, USAID and the GHS will support 60 Networks of Practice (NoP) in the five regions of the north and in the Western Region with essential equipment, training of health staff, and on-the-job supportive supervision to strengthen their skills.
The Network of Practice (NoP) model links community health facilities to district health centers for improved healthcare delivery. The agreement will also support the GHS to operationalize their Planning and Budgeting Management Information System and the Ministry of Finance for its Integrated Financial Management Information System, among others, it said.