UNDP, Japan gov’t sign digital solutions project for health, nutrition and medical services.
The United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) have officially signed the Digital Solutions project for Health, Nutrition and Medical Services’ with the Government of Japan at kempinski Hotel in Accra.
The project will strengthen the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed between the Ministry of Health and Government of Japan, as part of Japan’s Africa Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AfHWIN) in 2019.
Also, the initiative is aimed at strengthening collaboration and enhancing health promotion, supporting prevention, control, and treatment of Communicable and Non-Communicable Disease and strengthening private public partnership on health.
Speaking on the project, The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu said, indeed the project is very timely and relevant, because the use of digital solutions to improve health outcomes have gained creasing significance, especially, during this COVID pandemic.
“it is deemed as one of the surest ways of strengthening health systems and expanding access to health services during this pandemic”, he added.
The Health Minister was also delighted that the project is aligned with the overall government strategy to expand the use of digitization within the heath sector, adding, “Strengthening the use of digitization will ultimately enhance the efficiency of health care delivery and accelerate the country’s efforts towards universal health coverage.”
” It is gratifying to note that this project will support the nationwide roll out of the e-Tracker and improve overall health service delivery by strengthening collection, analysis, utilization and management of health and HRH (human resource for health) data for better programming and decision-making”, he noted.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu further said the Non-Communicable Diseases are increasingly becoming a huge menace in Ghana and particularly interested the project will also support the country’s efforts to address the rising menace of non- communicable diseases and support behavior change within communities.
” We are again grateful to the Government of Japan for their support for this project and indeed their continued support for health system strengthening and Universal Health Coverage in Ghana”, he stressed.
He also ecpressed his sincere gratitude to UNDP for their continuous support, partnership, and efforts in mobilizing resources and stakeholders around this very important initiative.
“It is my hope that ultimately the implementation of this project will lead to improved health outcomes in Ghana”, he said.
Remarks were made by the Executive Director of YouthConnectk Africa Hub, Oulie Keita, Assistant Adm. and RBA Director (UNDP), Ahunna Eziakonwa, Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Hemeno Tsutomu, and the UNDP Resident Representative, Dr. Angela Lusiga on the importance of the project in Ghana.
Highlights of the importance of this project:
The use of digital tools to strengthen and improve health outcomes have gained increasing relevance especially during this COVID pandemic.
Even though digital tools such as the E-trackerhas been deployed in Ghana, inadequate infrastructure for nation-wide roll out, inadequate analysis of data collected, and human resource capacity needs prevent the country from gaining maximum benefits from the use of digital tools.
Furthermore, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are increasingly gaining recognition as significant causes of morbidity and mortality in Ghana with serious implications for the delivery of healthcare in Ghana.
Against this backdrop, a concerted and integrated approach is needed to strengthen the use of digital tools whilst harnessing their potential to improve health outcomes especially for NCDs in communities.
Reiterate the key aspects of the project
This Digital Solutions for Health, Nutrition and Medical Services project will use a multi-pronged approach to strengthen health service delivery by strengthening collection, analysis, utilisation and management of health and human resource for health data for better service delivery and decision making. This will be achieved by supporting the nationwide deployment of E-tracker, co-creating innovative solutions for improved data analysis, encouraging behaviour change in communities and piloting the use of innovative state of the art diagnostics etc.
Highlight the objectives of the project:
Key objectives of the project are to Scaling up the deployment of the E- tracker at national and sub national levels
Strengthening analysis and utilization of health data including the use of data driven insight and AI
Strengthening health promotion, early detection, and diagnosis of NCDs, malaria, malnutrition, and anaemia within beneficiary communities
Strengthening human resource information management within the health sector
Emphasize innovations in project design:
Deliberate attempts made to explore the use of data driven insights and Artificial Intelligence in the analysis and utilization of health data
An exciting blend of government, non-governmental and private sector partners involved in the conceptualization, design and implementation of project.
Inclusion of a private sector consortium (NEC, Sysmex and The Ajinomoto foundation) to strengthen private -public partnership and unleash the power of private sector to contribute meaningfully to improving health outcomes and the attainment of the SDGs
Embedded opportunities for knowledge transfer and sharing of expertise from the Global North to the Global South-3-year project duration which allows for consolidation of project results
Objectives
Commend Government of Japan for their continued support for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), maternal health and prevention of Non communicable diseases in Ghana.
Underline UNDP and Government of Japan’s strong partnership and commend Government of Japan’s support and funding for ongoing (1.8MUSD) project, aimed at strengthening the continuity of essential health services for the vulnerable during the COVID-19 period and beyond.
Commend Government of Japan for their support and partnership for this new project (4.5M USD) aimed at strengthening the use of digital technology for health, nutrition, and medical services.
Commend the Government’s efforts on strengthening the use of digitization within the health sector.
Background
The Digital Solutions for Health, Nutrition and Medical Services Project is based on an earlier Memorandum Of Cooperation (MOC) signed in 2019 between the Ministry of Health and Government of Japan, as part of Japan’s Africa Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AfHWIN) to strengthening collaboration and enhancing health promotion, supporting prevention, control, and treatment of Communicable and Non-Communicable Disease and strengthening private public partnership on health among others.
There are four key partners in this project UNDP, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health and Japanese private sector Consortium (NEC, Sysmex and The Ajinomoto foundation (TAF).
Source : africaneditors.com/Eric Nil Sackey
