Accra: The Hunger Project-Ghana (THP-Ghana) has inaugurated the Holistic Opportunities for Positive Engagement in Maternal and Child Health (HOPE-MCH) project at the Dome-Achiansa Epicenter in the Ayensuano District: The initiative, which spans June 2025 to May 2026, targets improved access to maternal and newborn health services for pregnant women, mothers, and children under three.
According to Ghana News Agency, the project integrates three thematic areas that include Health, Agriculture, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). The inception workshop convened stakeholders from six cluster communities within the Epicenter, alongside Heads of Departments from the Ayensuano District. Addressing participants, Madam Consolata Dassah, Programmes Lead at THP-Ghana, underscored the importance of collaboration with decentralized departments, including the Ghana Health Service, National Ambulance Service, Department of Community Development and Social Welfare, and Department of Food and Agriculture.
She announced plans to sign an Integral Memorandum of Understanding (IMoU) with both community representatives and departmental heads to guide implementation and ensure adherence to best practices. 'We need such groups to come on board for their inputs to enable us achieve our target within the one-year period,' she stated.
Madam Patricia Osei Amponsah, Project Officer at Dome-Achiansa Epicenter, outlined key interventions under the HOPE-MCH project. These include the provision of medical equipment and supplies for the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound, renovation of the facility to enhance accessibility, and the supply of a motorcycle and a modified tricycle ambulance. Additional components involve capacity-building for health workers and Epicenter Animators, distribution of WASH kits to schools, and the establishment of a demonstration farm to promote backyard gardening among households.
Funding support for the project is provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Mr. Francis Kwotua Apungu, Ayensuano District Director of Health, commended THP-Ghana's efforts and urged traditional leaders to support the formation of community health management committees. These committees will serve as liaison bodies between the communities and the Health Service to facilitate effective implementation.
