Series of community-based events designed to promote health and wellness, and to nudge the carrying out of recommended health behaviours for improved health as well as increasing access to health care services has been launched.
The events, dubbed: ‘GoodLife Health Fairs’ are also to empower individuals and families to access basic essential health services and connect with local health providers through practical demonstration of how to use health care commodities and access to services.
The GoodLife Health Fairs are a key initiative under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Accelerating Social and Behaviour Change (ASBC) Activity.
The ASBC Activity is being implemented in northern Ghana by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Savana Signatures and other consortium partners to reduce disease burden across multiple health areas, generate demand for and increase the uptake of health services in facilities, while creating supportive environments for behaviour change.
Dr. Stephen Agbeny
o, Executive Director, Savana Signatures, speaking during the launch of the fairs in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region on Thursday, said the initiative would contribute significantly to building healthier communities and promote productivity.
There were health screening, blood donation, vaccination, health talk and education, cooking and food demonstration, promotion of family planning methods, demonstration of construction of tippy taps among others as part of the launch.
Participants during the launch included various stakeholders in the health sector, traditional authorities, people living with disabilities and some students from second cycle institutions.
Dr Agbenyo said: ‘Savana Signatures will be rolling out these fairs across the Sagnarigu Municipality and the Mamprugu-Moagduri Districts under the leadership of the Health Promotion Division of the GHS and the consortium lead, FHI360 under the theme: ‘Promoting Good Health through Positive Uptake of Health Behaviours’.
He emphasised
that ‘at the end of the fairs, we aim at promoting the uptake of healthy behaviours through the promotion of service delivery and uptake of health products for measurable behaviour changes.’
Mr. Joshua Ofori, Chief of Party, USAID ASBC Activity, described the initiative as a one-stop-market where service providers would make available information and services pertaining to various health interventions.
He said the initiative had specifically prioritised maternal and child health, reproductive health, nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene, family planning, among others.
Madam Mabel Kissiwah Asafo, Acting Director, Health Promotion Division, GHS, said the initiative was in line with health promotion efforts to prevent diseases and ensure the general well-being of communities.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, lauded the initiative, and said it would promote the adoption of positive health behaviours as a means for promoting healthy lifestyles and
practices to prevent diseases.
He urged beneficiary districts to embrace the initiative to improve their health.
Source: Ghana News Agency