IMPROVING THE HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM (HIS) OF GHANA

On 26th March this year, when an Ebola alert was issued by Ghana's parliament, I wondered if the alert will reach the forested areas of Ghana from the capital city. A friend who works with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and is based in Ghana's capital couldn't confirm whether or not the alert had reached all corners of the country especially the forested areas. Yesterday, I got an answer to my question from another friend's post on Facebook. This friend's mother is a health personnel who works in one of the rural districts and forested area of Ghana and is yet unaware of the Ebola alert, symptoms of the diseases and the precautionary measures to take.

As expected, she was upset about the inefficiency of the health information system. She felt the ministry of health (MOH) was doing little to disseminate health information especially when health personnel had little or no information on the Ebola virus. But can one blame the HIS of Ghana considering its challenges and the fact that little is being done to rectify its challenges (See Analysis of the state of the nation address below)? The challenges of the HIS may not be the only reason for the weak dissemination of the of Ebola health alert to the public and especially the health workforce. I believe one reason is our approach to communicate health information, like this Ebola alert to  Ghana's entire population.

Too often we are tempted to sew a one size dress and try to fit it to customers of varying sizes probably to save time and cut cost etc.. In the end, we fail to realize these benefits because  not everyone could wear this one size dress. In the case of the Ebola alert, it looks like the MOH may have used social media to disseminate this alert when close to 80% of Ghana's 25 million population is not active on the internet and social media.It may also have used the electronic and print media to disseminate this alert when these weren't the preferred medium of communication among its target audience. Also MOH may not be making use of mobile phone penetration (about 26 million mobile phone users) in the country to send out an SMS alert to Ghana's population. In the end this health alert was not well communicated.There is therefore the need to use the right medium for the right audience as; 

1. it ensures that a message is received and used by the target audience
2. money is saved as one does not spend on the wrong media
3. it prevents delays and saves time and 
4. resource including human resource is effectively and efficiently distributed to avoid losses.

Olime Health therefore believes that moving forward, a thorough research exercise should be conducted by the MOH/GHS into the most effective way to communicate health information to its workforce and the entire population. We expect that there are already procedures for things like this, we therefore suggest an update on those procedures to identify for example the various information needs, audiences with such needs, and the most cost effective way to reach them. In practical terms, such a research exercise will answer questions like 'which type of media works well for the different  age groups, sexes, social status, ethnic groups, geographical locations ? and what is the preferred form of media to be used for each identified audience group. 

This research can be carried out as final year project works of tertiary students to reduce the burden on Ghana's overstretched health workforce and give these students practical work experience while in school. Where and when this research has been conducted, it must be implemented, monitored and evaluated to ensure that the health of all 25 million Ghanaians is being protected as well as see to it that results are being achieved.

Additionally, Olime Health believes MOH needs to collaborate more with the Ministry of Information and Media relations to help disseminate information. It should also collaborate with the ministry of Communication and Technology on how internet usage can be improved to reach the entire population as well as make internet usage affordable for most if not all citizens of Ghana. Other private organizations should also be made partners in securing the health of Ghana. This proposal stems from the recognized fact that the task of securing the health of a nation is a multi-sectoral project as this approach achieves better and faster results.

Today, we can heave a sigh of relief knowing that there's no outbreak of Ebola in Ghana and health personnel like my dear friend's mother and the general  population were not put at risk. But tomorrow can we?

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About Olime Health

________________

Olime Health is a total health brand on a mission of enabling people to choose and 

live healthier lifestyles. The brand advocates for an environment which encourages and supports the health and nutritional wellbeing of people. We approach health from a preventive angle and specialize in research, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, nutritional assessments, food security and interventions. 

PHOTO; uq.edu

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Protecting the Health of Ghanaians - Pt2

This is Part 2 of Olime Health's analysis of the 2014 State of the Nation address. 

Highlights;

• The Government of Ghana is seeking to build a resilient economy to improve and protect the wellbeing of Ghanaians. In order to achieve this, the people of Ghana must be healthy because a healthy people are the major drivers of economic activity.
• Government’s commitment to health is assessed by analyzing sources such as the State of the Nation Address and the budget statement on health among others.
• Though the Government’s stated intention to improve the health delivery system to ensure quality health for all Ghanaians is in the right direction, an action plan to help measure progress is missing. The efforts to improve the health information system are not strong enough and the adequacy of the budget allocation for the health sector is debatable.

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All three versions will be available here for free download. Feel free to get in touch if you would like to discuss this further olimehealth@gmail.com.

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Protecting the health of Ghanaians

This is the first part of Olime Health's analysis of the 2014 State of the Nation address here. Download it below;


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Use this link to  Download Report . Tap your browser Menu icon and select Request Desktop Site. Then pick File and Download.

Drop us a comment and let us know what you think. Thank you Having difficulty downloading? Let's drop it in your email instead. Just send a line to olimehealth@gmail.com

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This season of giving

Hello My Cherished readers,

Happy Holidays!!! I hope you are enjoying the holidays as I am. I promised myself not to disturb you with anything readable this festive season as it is all about everything eatable and drinkable. But this season involves giving, so I hope you will not mind me writing this post to give you my best wishes for the season. My cherished reader, I will like to use this season and this post to say thank you for your support, I really appreciate it and to give you my very best for this season. I also thought, in the spirit of giving we could all give something back to our society, our world.

As you may be aware, during this season, there is often plenty to eat to make the season memorable. But where there is plenty, excess is inevitable. Unfortunately, the likelihood of food excess from our parties/lunches/dinners in this season going waste is somehow high – the scarping of food into the bin, the improper preservation of food from party/dinner’s leftovers which eventually end in the bin, to mention but a few. I know we do not intentionally set out to waste food and this is why I believe we can intentionally minimize food waste during this season and indirectly give the 870 million people facing hunger in the world due to one or more reasons (you can read more from here) food to eat by following the steps below.

1. Knowing the number and nature of stomachs we will be cooking for during this season’s parties and/or dinners. If you have no idea, then step 2 will help you.
2. Preserving leftover food properly so it is in the best condition to be eaten.
3. Find out how you can make different dishes from your leftovers.

I will not bore you with many steps but if you will like to know more that is if you have noticed following even these 3 steps above will save you some money then click here.

As I did not  want to write anything during this eatable and drinkable season, I will keep this post short but remember, in this season of giving, we should not give food to non-living things (bins, dumps etc) but to a living person.

Thank you.

Continue to enjoy the holidays.

Happy Holidays once again.

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Your little can do much

According to the UN, approximately 870 million are suffering from hunger that means one out of eight people suffers from hunger. Hunger is deadly, killing 2.5million children annually. These children die out of malnutrition. The rest who do not die are undernourished with vitamin A deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia and stunting being prevalent amongst these children. Undernourishment affects not only one’s physical state but also the ability to maximize one’s potential. The good news is hunger can be eliminated.

At the heart of eliminating hunger is food security; making food available, accessible and affordable in one’s country. To achieve food accessibility and affordability, food must be available first. Food availability is harnessed by better agriculture production. It is therefore important to make sure all the determinants of food security especially those that affect agriculture production are managed well to minimize if not eliminate its effect. Determinants such as the labour force in agriculture, the land and ponds, seedlings, tools and equipment used in agriculture and others when improved would ensure better harvest to feed population(s). Again, good transportation systems, good markets conditions etc would also make safe and nutritious food accessible and affordable for all.

Yet, there is one determinant of food security that renders the efforts made to minimize or eliminate the effects of the other determinants mentioned above ineffective. This factor is poor political condition (political unrest). During a political unrest, farmlands, infrastructure, irrigation systems, farm machinery, crops etc are destroyed. Where crops are not destroyed, they cannot be harvested either as a result of destroyed farm equipment and/or farmers unwillingness to go out for obvious security issues. Even if these crops are harvested, transporting the produce to market places to make them accessible to feed the whole population also becomes difficult for transportation systems are in worse conditions and where they are not; insecurity associated with such unrest makes it difficult for one to go the marketplaces to sell or buy food. With most farms destroyed, little produce harvested and the inability to market the produce, farmers in a country going through a political unrest have very low household incomes to buy other uncultivated foodstuff and essential household commodities. Again, with little or no food on the market, with shops closed and people unwillingness to go out for fear of losing their lives, people are unable to get adequate food to feed the household.

Such is the situation in countries such as Syria, Mali, Sudan, and Somalia to mention but a few. In Syria today, 46% of its population who are dependent on agriculture are faced with destroyed farmlands, infrastructure, irrigation systems, transportation systems etc as a result of the political unrest. Syria has also been hit by bad weather conditions. These put together is making it difficult for Syria to feed her population. Many have been displaced and many have fled their homes without anything but the clothes on their back as they seek secured places for their families. Find out more from here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq8Bpc9etgE. With little or no food production, with shops closed or destroyed with thousands displaced from their homes and seeking refuge, how can the father provide food for the family? How can the mother feed her hungry children? And how can pregnant and lactating mothers filled with fear, anxiety etc feed their unborn babies and babies respectively.

This is not the time to teach a nation going through such crises how to fish; this is the time to give fish. For how can we teach them how to fish when the ponds, fishing nets, boats etc have been destroyed? This is the time to create a safety net for them. This is the time to help them survive for we need one another to survive in this world. The world would not be complete without Syria, Mali and the others. We cannot watch on as hunger wipes them out for this would make our world incomplete. Thankfully, the United Nation has set up the World Food programme and other relief agencies to bring together our collective efforts to help save the people especially children who suffer the most from hunger. We cannot go to Syria, Mali and the others to help them but WFP and these agencies can. Their work is supported by countries, organizations and individuals like us. Remember, the UN is all of us and thus need our support.   Yes! Your country has supported these crises but the continuous conflict in Syria, Mali and other places have made these funding from various countries, organizations and individuals very little. If countries, organizations and individuals continue to contribute their little, it can do much. Remember little drops of water make a mighty ocean. Our little can do much for Syria, Mali, Sudan, Somalia etc. Let us help WFP to provide fish for these countries and when peace is finally restored, they can teach them how to fish.

Every child deserves this smile.

Remember, a child went to bed hungry yesterday, would go to bed hungry today and tomorrow. Again a child died yesterday, would die today and tomorrow out of hunger and malnutrition. It wasn’t just a child that went to bed hungry or died; it was the next Steve Job, Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, Ertharin Cousin, Lionel Messi etc. Should such future prospect not be allowed to maximize his/her potential because of hunger? Should our world be robbed off such a gem that would have made our world better than it is now? The answer is obviously NO! Let’s say NO to hunger. Let’s all join hands in feeding these populations especially women and children who are the most vulnerable by donating our little. Visit the WFP and other agencies and make a donation today to help save a country and a child. Every child needs to eat and be strong to smile like this child. Every child needs a nourished brain and body to look into the future with a confidence to maximize his/her potential like this child. Let’s not deprive a child these. Visit WFP (https://www.wfp.org/) now and make a donation.

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