The U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson, took an informative tour of the community-based health planning and services (CHPS) compound in Kasuliyili of the Tolon District in the Northern Region on March 31, 2016. This was the Ambassador’s first visit to northern Ghana where there are major U.S. Government-funded projects in agriculture and nutrition under the Feed the Future initiative. Dr. Edward Bonku, SPRING/Ghana Chief of Party, and CHPS representatives met with Ambassador Jackson to explain the services available for community members, particularly women who are pregnant and lactating and children under two.
The CHPS compound provides clinical and preventive health services that reach over 7,000 people living in its catchment zone. The service components include maternal and reproductive health, child health, management of minor ailments, health education, sanitation, and counseling on healthy lifestyles and good nutrition. The compound is also equipped with delivery and lying-in rooms for post-natal mothers.
The CHPS compound receives complementary support from the SPRING/Ghana project and the USAID-funded Resiliency in Northern Ghana (RING) project. SPRING/Ghana trained the CHPS health staff on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) counseling to improve the quality of nutrition services. SPRING/Ghana also trained staff on the logistics management of nutrition commodities including management of inventory records for drugs and medical supplies through the use of stock control cards.
SPRING/Ghana's work was also recently highlighted by Ghana News.