Accra, Oct. 26, GNA - A media consortium was established on Wednesday to promote health issues in the media as a means of improving the health status of the people.

The consortium also aims at developing evidence-based communication materials for interventions that would help improve the health delivery system.

With support from the Ghana Sustainable Change Project, (GSCP) a five-year USAID sponsored programme targeting issues, including advocacy health promotion, the consortium would organise and equip media personnel and other health professionals to advocate and work around key health issues such as malaria, nutrition, breastfeeding and reproductive health.

Mr. Edward Adimazoya, a member of the Advocacy Group of GSCP, told journalists in Accra the project sought to contribute to the overall objective of increasing the health status of Ghanaians, while addressing issues of sustainability.

He said one of the goals of the project was to strengthen the capacity of government, decision-makers and opinion leaders to advocate in support of programmes and activities that influenced positive behavioural change.

Mr. Adimazoya said the project would also strengthen and expand social marketing of products and services that would expand access to health care.

In June 2004, USAID awarded the GSCP to the Academy for Educational Development and its partners with the mandate to support the Ghana Health Service and other private and civil society groups to increase the health status of Ghanaians through communication interventions, which could be sustained overtime. 26 Oct. 05