Project News

A handover ceremony of MCH Record Books took place at Ghana Health Service headquarters on 15th March 2021. The project donated more than one million MCH RB for the Ministry of Health (MOH)/Ghana Health Service (GHS). This support is intended to improve access to quality maternal and child health and nutrition services as the country attempts to contain the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care delivery.

One million MCH RB are needed to cover one million babies born every year in Ghana. The MCH RB Project has printed 330,000 MCH RB every year since 2018 while MOH and GHS have managed to print the remaining amount with their own budget and/or other donor's support. However, the national health budget and donor support needed to be prioritized to contain COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, and the Project decided to respond to this urgent need and provide one million MCH RB.

At the ceremony, Mr. ARAKI Yasumichi, the chief representative of JICA Ghana Office, expressed gratitude to the GHS and MOH for the strong collaboration over the past years and congratulated them for their efforts in the National COVID-19 Response Actions for Ghana. He added that despite the challenge of the global pandemic, JICA remains resolute with its commitment to ensuring the continuum of care especially for maternal, child health and nutrition (MCHN) services by donating three folds of its annual support, close to one million MCH RB. He concluded by stating the need to ensure sustainability of the book especially as the MCH RB project edges towards its closure in January 2022.

In response the Director General of the Ghana Health Service Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye mentioned that the Service remains committed to efforts to improve the MCHN status in the country and is grateful to the Government of Japan for being very supportive. He emphasized the need to ensure that enough books are available at all times especially during these times to safeguard the continuity and access to services in line with Ghana's Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda of leaving no mother or child behind. He added that the Service with support from the MOH will address and facilitate processes that will ensure timely procurement as well as guidelines that will ensure the sustainability of the book. Director General informed that currently GHS has engaged National Health Insurance Authority to print 250,000 copies of the book as part of actions to ensure sustainability of the book. He concluded by urging all cooperate institutions and other stakeholders in health including the Private Sector to come on board to support the printing of the book as Ghana forges on to achieve UHC.

GHS, MOH and the project will continue to explore all avenues to print and distribute sufficient number of MCH Record Book for uninterrupted and sustainable delivery of quality MCH and nutrition services involving both public and private sectors.