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Health-World Health Day

Mr Peter Yeboah, Executive Director for the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) has called partnership at the international, national and local levels to ensure that all people and communities have access to quality health services without hindrance.

Mr Yeboah noted that this ambition cuts across all health targets and has the potential of contributing to health security and equity in the global setting.

He said such interventions would foster inspirations, motivate and guide all stakeholders so that they would fulfil their commitments towards universal health coverage.

Mr Yeboah who was addressing a durbar of community members and health personnel organized by the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital to mark World Health Day celebration, which was on theme: “Universal Health Coverage”.

He explained that when stakeholders appreciate the need for partnership in healthcare, it would bring health services to the door steps of the people.

He indicated that there was the need for duty bearers such as the CHAG to focus on policy and operational issues and also explore the search for a sustainable provision of quality maternal and child health services especially for the poor.

He said statistics from the maternal and child health departments of the Presbyterian Health services indicates that, in the last five years, for every 1,000 live births about 25 neonates, 37 and 52 infants died, and out of every 100,000 live births in Ghana, 319 pregnant women died from pregnancy related conditions.

Mr Yeboah said a stakeholder action inspired by committed leadership was an indispensable pathway in addressing the plight of the poor and the needy in the provision of sustainable maternal and child health services.

He called on policy makers to see the need in providing quality health services to the people especially maternal and child health and the plight of the poor by formulating and implementing policies that would address such issues.

Mr Fred Effah-Yeboah General Manager for the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital noted that the day was instituted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to create campaigns and spread awareness about health and the wellbeing for people living everywhere in the world. 

Mr Effah-Yeboah mentioned that the Day’s celebration was the first of its kind in the region and that it brings on board the physical and mental integrity as well as access to preventive and curative healthcare for everyone.

He said in every stage from birth to death, everyone needs one form of health interventions or another in order to live the fullest potentials in life, ading that in spite of these, there were barriers to effective health service delivery and utilization of health services all over the world and that wide disparities existed in accessing health care between countries and within regions.

The General Manager called on all to make a concerted effort to bridge all equity gaps in access to health care.