Japan to build 73 community health centres in Ghana
Dr Alfred Tia Sugri, Deputy Minister of Health has announced that 73 new Community Based Health Planning Service (CHPS) Compounds would be constructed throughout the Upper West Region by 2015.
He said the CHPS compounds, which are funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) grant of JPY 989 Million Yen, are expected to begin in January 2014.
He said the projects would enhance and improve community health in the region that lag behind other regions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals four and five by reducing child and maternal mortality.
Dr Sugri announced this when he cut the sod for commencement of work on the 73 projects at Asse-Eggu in the Upper West Region.
He told the Ghana News Agency after the programme that the projects marked JICA’s second support after previously sponsoring similar projects from 2006 and 2010 in the same region.
The Deputy Minister said the construction of the CHPS compounds would among other things, bridge equity in access to health and nutrition services, ensure sustainable financing arrangements that protect the poor, strengthen governance and improve effectiveness of health delivery.
Dr Sugri said the CHPS compounds would also improve access to quality maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent services intensify prevention and control of communicable diseases.
“The construction of the CHPS compounds will also control communicable diseases, promote healthy lifestyles, improve institutional care including mental health services delivery,” he said.
He added that the Ministry of Health through the Regional Health Directorate of Ghana Health Service would be the executing agency of the projects, while Capital Investment Management Unit of the Ministry would have oversight supervision.
Source: GNA