Accra: The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has donated three vehicles to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to enhance the monitoring of health interventions across three critical regions. This initiative aims to bolster the implementation of the GHS's Improving Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAHN) programme and Networks of Practice (NoP).
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Dong Wan Woo, the Country Director of the KOICA Ghana Office, highlighted that the donation is part of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen health service delivery in the Ashanti, Central, and Eastern regions. The vehicles, procured by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), are expected to significantly enhance the mobility of health teams, facilitating improved supervision, coordination, and monitoring at various levels.
Mr. Woo further elaborated that the handover is a segment of a larger procurement initiative, with an additional 38 items of equipment currently in the pipeline. Ms. Emmanuelle Collet, UNICEF Deputy Country Director, emphasized that the vehicles would improve supervision and support for health facilities within the Networks of Practice, thereby enhancing service delivery and health outcomes for women, newborns, children, and adolescents.
Dr. Kennedy Brightson, Director of the Family Health Division of the GHS, added that the vehicles are robust and capable of reaching remote areas where access to health facilities is challenging. This capability is critical in ensuring timely medical care for newborns who develop complications post-discharge from health facilities. The strengthened approach will enable health workers to reach mothers and babies in their homes, monitor their health, and facilitate referrals to appropriate health facilities.
Effective monitoring, as stressed by Dr. Brightson, will support early identification of danger signs among pregnant women. Improved community follow-up and early referral can prevent complications from worsening. On the issue of maternal deaths, Dr. Brightson noted that the GHS is intensifying efforts to make pregnancy and childbirth safer, with established structures for investigating maternal deaths through the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response system.
The handover of these vehicles marks a significant step in the ongoing collaboration between the Government of Ghana, KOICA, and UNICEF to strengthen the Networks of Practice approach and build a more resilient and equitable health system.