A media forum on Primary Health Care (PHC) and Health Systems improvement in Ghana has been organized by Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR) today, 28th January, 2021 at the Mensvic Hotel in East Legon, Accra. Participants of the meeting included representatives from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Ghana News Agency, New Crusading Guide, Daily Guide, Peace fm, and Pink fm.
The meeting provided participants with an in-depth briefing on the current state of primary health care delivery in Ghana, state of primary health care advocacy in Ghana as well as the outstanding work to be done to ensure a continued PHC advocacy. It provided a platform for the exchange of ideas on the strategic roles that media partners can play for improved primary health care delivery in Ghana.
The need for an active media role and collaboration for improved primary health care and health systems in Ghana, which has never been more important than it is now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, was emphasized.
Participants were requested to continue to increase its attention to the health sector and contribute to the collective objective of improving health care services for majority of Ghanaians. This was because for a vast number of Ghanaians to realize benefits from health sector spending, the media must contribute, by adding their voices, to ensure that funding was not clogged up in bureaucratic functions and operations at national and regional levels. It was worth noting that significant part of expenditures were made in district and community facilities which were much closer to people. That specifically implied that there must be increased investments to improve facilities and services at CHPS compounds, health centers and district hospitals in order to remove financial and other barriers to access.
The meeting ended with a commitment from participants to give their upmost priority to issues related to PHC in Ghana in their reportage and sustain discussions on PHC in Ghana.
The meeting was organized as part of activities under the Primary Health Care Advocacy Campaign project which is being implemented with funding from PAI.
