The Global Fund and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) have handed over 486 motorcycles to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to enhance community healthcare delivery under the Sub-District Strengthening Initiative (SDSI). The gesture forms part of a broader consignment of more than 20,000 medical and non-medical items procured to bolster the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) system across 10 regions.
The motorcycles, accompanied by protective gear and health screening tools including blood pressure monitors and testing kits for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, will be deployed to CHPS zones in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono, Volta and Oti regions. The support is expected to significantly improve mobility for Community Health Officers, especially in hard-to-reach communities.
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At the handover ceremony, Mrs Linda Agbesi, Acting Head of UNOPS in Ghana, described the move as a major milestone in strengthening primary healthcare. She said the SDSI builds on the CHPS model to extend essential health services to underserved areas and aligns with Sustainable Development Goal Three, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. She reaffirmed UNOPS’ commitment to supporting the full life-cycle of the equipment and ensuring delivery to beneficiary facilities.
Dr Caroline Amissah, Deputy Director-General of GHS, said the motorcycles would improve transportation at the lower levels of care, facilitating home visits, outreach programmes and effective defaulter tracing. She noted that improving frontline worker mobility is essential to preventive healthcare and to maintaining progress in maternal, child and community health.
Dr Robert Amesiya, Greater Accra Regional Director of Health, praised the initiative, stressing that transportation support remains critical to strengthening primary healthcare delivery. He assured the donors that the motorcycles would be well-maintained and fully utilised.
The SDSI, financed by the Global Fund with technical and procurement support from UNOPS, seeks to address gaps in equipment, logistics and service delivery at the sub-district level. In addition to motorcycles, the initiative includes cold chain equipment, hospital furniture, diagnostic tools, contamination prevention supplies and home-visit kits for CHPS facilities nationwide.
