31/05/2025
REACHING THE UNREACHED WITH PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES
As part of our multifaceted approach towards Reaching Every Woman and Child with primary health services in the Nkwanta South municipality, a joint team of officers from the Municipal Health Directorate and officers of Kabiti Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) facility conducted defaulter-tracing and outreach services at Kabiti overbank on May 29, 2025. Services provided include vaccination, Vitamin A supplementation, growth monitoring and counselling of caregivers, and Ante-Natal Care (ANC) services.
Officers from the Municipal Health Directorate include Municipal Health Promotion Officer (Richard), Municipal Public Health Nurse (Erasmus), Municipal Nutrition Officer (Solomon) and Municipal Health Information Officer (William). Officers from the CHPS facility include Midwife (Mabel), Nurses (Bismark, Godfred, Lydia and Akwesi).
Kabiti overbank is primarily a cluster of 11 fishing communities, and one of the Hard-To-Reach (HTR) settlements in the municipality that are accessed from the CHPS facility by commercial canoe or local boat. It has an estimated human population of 3, 807. Despite the remarkable commitment by nurses and midwife at the facility with support from the Municipal Health Management Team to ensuring that persons at the overbank access health services during monthly outreach activities, the fear of crossing the river using canoe or the local boat, and the cost of monthly transportation are some primary challenges of the staff and management. Apart from Kabiti overbank, Chillinga and Akyem are some other communities that are still far from their closest health facility.
Considering the long distances from the communities to the CHPS facility, coupled with the human population and the hassle the people go through to access health service at the nearest health facility, especially during health emergencies, it is important to situate a facility in the area. In that regard, management commenced some engagements with stakeholders in December 2024 towards the establishment of a permanent healthcare outfit at a central point in the area. At an initial community engagement, the chiefs and elders pledged to donate land for the construction of a health facility. They also promised to support in any form necessary to sustain the functionality of the facility. With a 24-hour presence of essential health services in the area, access to care will become easier and relatively more affordable, which will result in improved skilled delivery, vaccination coverage, prevention of avoidable deaths etc.
As management, we wish to express our readiness to partner NGOs in health and other organisations and individuals in the provision of regular health services at the Kabiti overbank, and in other hard-to-reach populations.
Ghana Health Service
Oti Regional Health Directorate
