WHO Ghana 2020 Annual Report
As is the tradition, the WHO country office for Ghana, usually begins every year with a staff retreat to plan and priorities and strategies to strengthen WHO’s contribution to the national health agenda during the year. Albeit the COVID -19 pandemic situation and inability to organize a face-to-face retreat, the planning processes was done by clusters.
Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service and other allied health institutions and stakeholders, the WHO country office, provided support aimed at achieving its mission which is attaining the highest level of health by the people in the country though its six operational areas which are (i) Communicable Diseases (ii) Non-Communicable Diseases, (iii) Promoting Health through the Life Course (iv), Health Systems, (v) Preparedness, Surveillance and Response (vi) Corporate services and enabling functions.
In addition to the financial support, technical assistance was also provided to build capacity and strengthen health governance structures at all levels. The following are some of the achievements from the support provided:
• Strengthened key coordination functions of the National Public Health Emergency Operation Centre and the National Technical Coordinating Committee (NTCC) and for all the pillars of response (Surveillance, Case Management, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Laboratory, Points of Entry (POEs) Risk Communication
• Capacity strengthening for case management and Surveillance for COVID response
• Procured and donated equipment, PPEs, laboratory reagents and swabs to the Ministry of Health/ Ghana Health Service to support COVID-19 pandemic response
• Actions towards continuation of essential health service provision in the face of COVID-19
• Country Coordinating Mechanism efforts to develop and submit Grant Applications for Global Fund for effective HIV, TB and Malaria control interventions
• Development of the Polio Transition Plan and successful response for the recent polio outbreak and response to contain various epidemics in the country in record time
• Implementation of the UK- Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded mental health project in- country
• Strengthening Climate Change and Health interventions, the One Health approach to addressing critical health issues including, Anti-Microbial Resistance and addressing public health emergencies
• Advocate for and promote actions towards Universal Health Coverage and Ghana’s attainment of SDG 3 and other Health Related SDGs.
• Commemoration of key official health-days to create more awareness on health living and lifestyle.
• Development, launch and dissemination of the National Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH&N) Strategic Plan
• Capacity building for stakeholders in National Health Account for Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
• Improving the Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
