The Ghana Health Service inaugurated the Interagency Coordinating Committee for Health Promotion (ICC-HP) for the Savannah region following similar committees inaugurated in the other four northern regions of Ghana; Upper East, Upper West, Northern and North East regions to improve the health and well-being of the Ghanaian population.
The inaugural ceremony took place at the West Gonja Municipal Health Directorate on Tuesday, 7th May 2024
In a welcome address, the Savannah Regional Health Director, Dr Josephat Hyuzaghl said that the purpose of the meeting is to train the Regional/District Risk Communication and Community Engagement Committees (RCCE) and also to re-inaugurate the Regional Inter-agency Coordination Committee for Health Promotion.
According to him, he hopes that when both activities are completed the health system will be strengthened to prepare and adequately respond to public health emergencies and also improve general health promotion activities in the Savannah region.
Dr. Josephat added that Ghana has been confronted with several Public health emergencies and events in the recent past, and the Savannah region had its fair share of these outbreaks and emergencies which include yellow fever, Marburg, Measles, and floods.
“As champions of health promotion, the committee strategically partners with government agencies to advocate for and execute policies that advance public health initiatives”. He said
He also noted that one of the key pillars of any public health response to emergencies is the need for effective risk communication which is crucial in ensuring that communities have access to accurate, reliable, trusted and timely information so individuals and communities can have access to the right information, they are more likely to adopt the appropriate behaviour and also take up public health interventions that will help reduce disease burden and ultimately translate into the kind of health outcomes that are desired.
The Acting Director of the Health Promotion Division- Ghana Health Service, Mrs. Mabel Kissiwah Asafo, emphasized the crucial role of the newly inaugurated members in advancing the collective mission of the ICC-HP.
She charged them with the responsibility of actively contributing to the improvement of health and well-being within communities across Ghana
Mrs. Mabel mentioned that at the regional level, ICC-HP members are selected from various entities including the Ghana Health Service, Information Services Department, Environmental Health and Sanitation Department, media outlets, and Non-Govemmental Organizations.
She discourages stigmatization in society as some people’s perception of leprosy is witchcraft and one of the roles of the ICC-HP is the sensitization of contemporary issues related to health.
