Yua (U/E), May 14, GNA - The Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) has started a programme to disseminate its expertise on the Community Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) to other African countries. The centre, in collaboration with the National Population Council, last Thursday began a one-week conference on CHPS in Navrongo for health personnel from Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso as part of the programme. The participants were expected to learn about the successful CHPS programme that is implemented all over the country by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and also interact with people in communities benefiting from the programme.

Dr John E. Williams, Principal Investigator of the Community Health and Family Planning Project (CHFP) which handled the CHPS programme during its experimental stages, explained that it was meant to send health services to the door steps of the people so as to ensure that they do not suffer from preventable diseases and also have quick medical care when they fall sick.

He said this was achieved by sending nurses to live with the people in the communities, ensuring that they have access to health care all the time.

Madam Rofina Asuru, the District Director of Health Services, said 23 houses had been built with the help of the assembly for the health personnel while a nutrition centre was under construction for Yua. Mr George Dan-Yare, the acting District Chief Executive, commended the people of Yua for their self-help spirit, saying that many other communities were learning from them.

Mr Clifford Kamara, Director of Planning, Ministry of Health, Sierra Leone who spoke on behalf of the participants, said they were learning many new things that would benefit their countries. Ethiopia and other English speaking African Countries would have their turn later.