Ghana’s second lady Samira Bawumia has been invited to deliver the keynote address at this year’s Faces of Africa Summit in Maryland, USA on April 24, 2019.

Her invitation is under the aegis of the African Public Health Network (APHN) of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland –USA in light with her initiatives through the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP), and interventions in the area of public health.

The Faces of Africa Summit showcases African culture and society. The week-long program focuses on a series of events built around a chosen theme addressing a significant issue of concern for African health and development.

The theme of this year’s Faces of Africa event is “Achieving gender equality and empowerment of females: African women on the frontline”.

The summit will explore issues related to gender equality and showcase stories of African women overcoming inequities.

Mrs. Bawumia, through SEHP, has initiated a number of interventions in the areas of health, education and empowerment, with special emphasis on women. Notable amongst them is the ‘Safe Delivery Project’, an initiative that seeks to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in deprived communities.

The Safe Delivery project is expected to distribute one hundred thousand (100,000) birth kits to expectant mothers in their third trimester, in deprived communities. The project has, additionally, trained traditional birth attendants and several health workers.

SEHP has also equipped selected health facilities in deprived communities in Ghana. So far, SEHP has retooled the Tamale Teaching Hospital, other four (4) health centres, and ten (10) Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compounds with necessary medical and surgical equipment, as well as medical consumables.

SEHP with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched a Coalition of People against Sexual and Gender Based Violence and Harmful Practices (CoPASH).

CoPASH will spearhead a national response to the issues of SGBV/HPs including case management and increasing prevention efforts in Ghana. The goal of CoPASH is to bring together agencies, organizations and individuals who are passionate about the rights of women and girls, to advocate for better case management for SGBV victims throughout the nation.