Accra, Dec 8, GNA-GIZ, a German Development Agency, in collaboration with its partners, has launched two projects to help build economic and health resilience against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The projects – “Pandemic Management in Catchment Communities in Times of COVID-19 and Beyond” and “Comprehensive Pandemic Management for Employees, Families and Communities”- are to help strengthen Ghana’s health system.
They will be implemented with local partners and funded by the German Government through the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and managed by G1Z through the develoPPP programme.
Dr Holger Till, the Team Leader, develoPPP Health, GIZ, said the projects, which began over a year ago, were being implemented simultaneously.
Ms Mary Bonsu, the Technical Advisor, develoPPP Health GIZ, said GIZ was partnering Asanko Gold, AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi, AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem and Golden Stars Resources to implement the “Pandemic Management in Catchment Communities in Times of COVID-19 and Beyond” project.
She said Blue Skies, Appointed Time Printing (Jospong Group), Coca Cola, Kasapreko and Golden Exotic Company Limited were partners for the “Comprehensive Pandemic Management for Employees, Families and Communities” project.
Ms Bonsu said the “Pandemic Management in Catchment Communities in Times of COVID-19 and Beyond” project, also known as, the Extractives, would enrol 60,000 community members (50 per cent women and 25 per cent youth) onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
She said it would examine 10,000 members in the catchment communities to determine their health literacy, including COVID-19 to the project.
The project will also give 150,000 community members medical care, including vaccinations and medical screening.
It costs £8,080,621 and will enable nine Metropolitan, Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs) as well as the Chamber of Mines react better to pandemics through capacity building, introduction of standard procedures and technological advancement.
Ms Bonus said the “Comprehensive Pandemic Management for Employees, Families, and Communities”, also known as the non-Extractives, was improve the working conditions of 8,000 employees made up of 50 per cent women and 40 per cent youth.
It will also improve health and safety at workplaces, enhance social protection, access to companies’ employee’s welfare programmes, and register 120,000 community members for National Health Insurance.
She said the project would enable beneficiaries open saving accounts, take up other forms of insurance apart from health insurance and participate in training exercises.
According to the Technical Advisor, 100,000 members in catchment communities would be examined to determine their health literacy, including COVID-19.
The project, which costs £5,236,089, would see 4.500,000 community members, comprising 50 per cent women and 40 per cent youth, who would receive medical care, including vaccinations and medical screening.
This would also allow 80 out of 88 MMDAs, react better to pandemics through capacity development, introduction of standard procedures and technological advancement.
Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director, Public Health, Ghana Health Service, lauding the initiatives, reiterated the call on Ghanaians to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols as the festive season approached.
Professor Julius Fobil, the Provost, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, called for an emergency pandemic management plan to ensure business continuity after the pandemic.
Ms Sophia Lissah Kudjordji, Head of Communication, Appointed Time Printing, Jospong Group, together with the other partners, pledged collective commitment to achieve the objective of the projects.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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