PATH

BY: ERIC K. AMPONSAH
The program coordinator for Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) Mrs. Patience Cofie has proposed the need for local base solution to the country’s health problem.
She said the time has come to look out for technologies that are necessary for the highly trained health workers even though the technologies have to be both cost effective and culturally appropriate.
She said this at the commission of Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), a non-governmental organization in Accra.
The program was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and all the key partners’ organization across the country.
Mrs. Patience Cofie, said the health sector of Ghana has chalked some success in the health indicators such as reducing childhood deaths and increasing antenatal coverage, among others.
However, there are still challenges regarding incidence of malaria and maternal deaths, though improved significantly, still stands high and that professional staff for critical health service delivery is still inadequate and resources for scaling up interventions in the sector are also inadequate.
She said the office of PATH in Ghana is currently focused on MCHN and oversees the Oxytocin Initiative project which works with the GHS and Kintampo Health Research Center, and supporting the Malaria Vaccine Initiative through malaria vaccine trials in KHRC and Agogo Hospital and Meningococcal “A” vaccine trial at Navrongo Health Research Center, for prevention of cerebrospinal meningitis.
Mrs. Cofie noted, “we work in maternal, newborn and child health nutrition, health systems strengthening, reproductive health, malaria, TB and other emerging diseases, HIV|AIDS and vaccine development as well as immunization programs.
She complemented the government effort in improving maternal health, and announced the commencement of the oxytocin Initiative (OI) project in Ghana, the three year Oxytocin Initiative (OI) research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates which will investigate the administration of oxytocin via Inject device during the third stage of labor by health care providers, specifically Community Health Officers (CHOs) in order to reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) occurring at home births in Ghana.
Mrs. Cofie added that, the ultimate goal of the OI project is to look for solutions that contribute to the reduction of the high maternal mortality rate in Ghana, particularly those attributed to postpartum hemorrhage of which the reduction will assist Ghana to achieve the MDG5.
The Deputy Minister for Health Dr. Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah who commissioned the offices said, the history of the development of the health sector in Ghana would have noted that under this government the health sector in Ghana has put before it some of the most difficult policies which are aimed at improving in sustainable manner of the health status of all Ghanaians.
These policies require that we work with the private sector and nongovernmental organization to ensure that we achieve the desired result and it is against this background that I welcome the presence of PATH in Ghana, he noted.
He added that engaging organizations such as PATH, will give Ghana the opportunity to take on board new ideas and pave the way for the introduction of new technologies.
Dr. Quaye-Kumah stressed that the policy of free deliveries in health facilities is also being vigorously promoted and for the first time the Ministry will take the initiative to ensure that the mal-distribution of human resource for health is dealt with.
He urged PATH to keep a keen focus on the health of our rural communities while in Ghana because it is the rural communities who produce the bulk of our nation’s wealth.
Dr. Quaye-Kumah cautioned PATH to make maximum use of the facilities government will put at their disposal and also recognize that the facilities cost government huge sums of money.