Mrs Akufo-Addo inaugurates two CHPS compounds
Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has built a Community-based Health Planning Service (CHPS) compound for residents of Adenkrebi in the Akuapim South District in the Eastern Region.
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Funded through private fund-raising efforts, the organisation had earlier built a similar CHPS compound for the people of Kobedialso in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The two clinics were inaugurated and handed over to both communities at separate events by the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo, who is also the Founder and Chairperson of the organisation.
Focus of foundation
Briefing the Daily Graphic after the inauguration of the Adenkrebi clinic, Mrs Lois Okudzeto, the Administrative Director of the Foundation, said the goal of the organisation was to help provide communities with affordable health care, educate Ghanaians and also give them the tools to fight diseases.
She said the focus of the NGO was to help control malaria mainly among the most vulnerable populations, including young children and pregnant women.
According to her, the Infanta Malaria Prevention programme had covered a wide range of activities including donation of over 12,000 insecticide treated mosquito nets.
“Some of these donations were done in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other international donors. It has also conducted malaria tests in small communities across the country and provided drugs to patients as well,” she added.
The newly inaugurated CHPS compound for residents of Adenkrebi
Future prospects
a deputy Chairperson of the organisation, Mrs Ophelia Akiwumi, indicated that the foundation decided to concentrate on the development and building of a lot of CHPS compounds in the coming years because of its interest in the standard of health care across Ghana.
“CHPS compounds, we believe, benefit a large segment of local communities by offering comprehensive malaria education and treatment and also access to basic health care in general,” she said.
She observed that CHPS compounds were the perfect vehicle to deliver health care to the largest number of people in local rural communities, “and they keep copious health records of everyone in the catchment areas.”
Mrs Akiwumi said the foundation would also provide healthcare training services to community-based workers on the prevention and treatment of malaria, post-natal care for mothers and proper drug usage through the CHPS compound initiative.
The Chief of Adenkrebi, Nana Ankoma I, on behalf of the community, thanked the First Lady and her organisation for the facility and said it would go a long way to provide them with the needed health service which they had always yearned for.