Construction Of 55 New CHPS Compounds Begins

A sod has been cut to commence the construction of 55 new Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds in the Northern and Volta Regions to improve access to health care and reduce preventable maternal and child deaths.

Twenty-eight new CHPS compounds would be constructed in the Northern Region whiles 27 would be constructed in the Volta Region.

As part of the project, to be completed by the end of next year, 155 existing CHPS compounds comprising 78 in the Northern Region and 77 in the Volta Region would also be renovated.

It is being implemented by the Systems for Health project in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Mr Salifu Saeed, Northern Regional Minister, who spoke during the sod-cutting ceremony at Warivi, a beneficiary community in the Mion District on Wednesday urged members of the beneficiary communities to support the project by offering communal labour to ensure its sustainability.

Mr Saeed expressed government’s appreciation to USAID for its interventions to bring relief to the people of the country.
Dr Jacob Mahama, Northern Regional Director of GHS said the CHPS compound strategy was helping to improve access to health care in the region, given its size and the refusal of some health personnel to accept postings to rural areas.
Dr Mahama assured that GHS would equip the CHPS compounds and maintain them to deliver essential health care needs for people in the underserved areas of the region.

Mr Jay Weschler, President and Chief Executive Officer of University Research Company, implementor of the Systems for Health project on behalf of USAID, asked individuals and businesses to give back to their communities through philanthropic contributions during project procurement and CHPS implementation.

USAID Systems for Health is a five-year project (2014 – 2019) aimed at strengthening vital health systems to improve and sustain coverage and use of quality, high impact health services in the country.