Background
The Health Sector of ACDEP was established to provide development support to its members engaged in primary health care programmes by facilitating the development and implementation of innovative primary health care project interventions.
One major criticism of the traditional health system has been that “They are too skewed towards curative rather than preventive health care”. Thus the added value of ACDEP-member PHC programmes is their innovation in the context of primary health care coupled with the provision of other traditional health care services equally offered by non ACDEP- members. This strategy enables our members to reach out to the “forgotten groups” as well.
Programme Coverage
The sector implements its innovative interventions through member church-based primary health care programmes and NGOs. Currently, there are fifteen (15) members within the health sector network who are providing clinical and public health services to communities within their catchment areas. These programmes work in collaboration with Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health to improve upon the health people of Northern Ghana.
| Name of PHC | District | Projects |
| BMC-Public Health | East Mamprusi | ADRH &TMP |
| CFRHP-Walewale | West Mamprusi | ADRH &TMP |
| CPHC-Kongo | Talensi-Nabdam | ADRH |
| CPHC-Zorko | Bongo | ADRH |
| PPHC-Langbensi | East Mamprusi | ADRH &TMP |
| PPHC-Garu | Garu Tempane | ADRH &TMP |
| PPHC-Namolgo | Talensi-Nabdam | ADRH &TMP |
| PPHC-Salaga | Kpandai | ADRH |
| PPHC-Sandema | Builsa | ADRH &TMP |
| PPHC-Widana | Bawku Municipal | ADRH &TMP |
| PPHC-Woriyanga | Garu-Tempane | ADRH &TMP |
Objective
Contribute toward improved health of rural population in Northern Ghana.
Programme Strategy
The main strategy used in the implementation the health programme is Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) and Communication for Development based around an analytical approach as follows:
- Make donors and PHC programmes aware of the issue
- Try out various options/strategies to effect change
- Adopt those strategies that have proved successful
- Maintain and sustain these initiatives.
This approach has previously been very successful in a project regarding Exclusive Breast Feeding and the theme of improving aspects around maternal care/child nutrition is a broad theme through ACDEP’s Health Program. Other program implementation mechanisms have included Capacity building of member project staff and key stakeholders through workshop training and on the field provision of technical backstopping and project monitoring.
Through our recent work ACDEP have succeeded in working with Ghana Health Service and strategic partners to provide capacity building for actors and beneficiaries and put the issues of adolescent reproductive health and traditional medical practice as a new agenda. We have also linked up with relevant strategic partners (GHAFTRAM, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, GHS, other NGOs) to support the project implementation and as targets for future advocacy.
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