U.S. and Ghana launch five-year $25 million partnership to improve health services

The United States and the Government of Ghana launched a joint $25 million partnership to improve health services in Ghana earlier today. United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Ghana Mission Director Kimberly Rosen joined the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye to formally launch the five-year agreement at a ceremony at the GHS headquarters in Accra.

“Investments in health pay back dividends for generations. The partnership we announced today will help provide quality services to all Ghanaians, no matter where they live or how much they can afford to pay,” stated USAID/Ghana Mission Director Kimberly Rosen, during the agreement launch ceremony.

The Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement will support the Ghana Health Service to improve the quality of primary health care delivery at community health facilities (CHPS) and health centers. USAID will provide $18.8 million in funding while the GHS is expected to contribute $6.2 million over five years. This is USAID/Ghana’s largest G2G agreement in the health sector to date.

‘’We believe that this support is going to help us to continue to provide quality care and also enhance our patient experience through the network of practice as we march towards achieving universal health coverage’’ noted Director General of Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye.

The United States Government is Ghana’s largest bilateral partner with over $150 million in support in the last year for health, economic growth, agriculture, education, governance, security, and more.

This five-year agreement aligns with the Government of Ghana’s health objectives, including the Universal Health Coverage Roadmap (2020-2030). USAID and the GHS will support 60 Networks of Practice (NoP) in the five regions of the north and in the Western Region with essential equipment, training of health staff, and on-the-job supportive supervision to strengthen their skills.

The Network of Practice (NoP) model links community health facilities to district health centers for improved healthcare delivery. The agreement will also support the GHS to operationalize their Planning and Budgeting Management Information System and the Ministry of Finance for its Integrated Financial Management Information System, among others.

During the launch ceremony, the USAID/Ghana Mission Director also handed over three Yamaha motorcycles to the GHS to support community health officers to access hard-to-reach areas. Over the past year, USAID has donated more than 300 motorcycles, 20 vehicles, and 3,000 electronic tablets to the GHS to facilitate health service delivery.