Strengthening Health Systems in Ghana: WHO and UKFCDO Partnership Visits Volta Region

The World Health Organization (WHO) thrives on partnerships to transform health systems and deliver life-saving services. In Ghana, one such impactful alliance is with the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UKFCDO). Together, we are charting a path toward universal health coverage (UHC), ensuring no one is left behind. Through UKFCDO’s invaluable support, WHO is implementing the Health Systems Strengthening for Universal Health Coverage (HSS4UHC) project, a bold initiative to create a resilient, equitable, and sustainable health system for all.

As part of monitoring progress under this initiative, WHO, UKFCDO and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) embarked on a regional tour, starting with the Volta Region. The visit aims to validate ongoing efforts, engage with regional health teams, and identify areas for further collaboration.

The visit commenced at the Volta Regional Health Directorate, where the team engaged the Regional Director and his team to discuss the impact of the ongoing support on their work. Following this, they met with health workers in Ho to review knowledge products developed under the project. The tour continued with a visit to the Adaklu District Health Directorate and culminated at the Hasu Community Polyclinic, where the team observed firsthand how strengthened health systems are positively impacting communities.

On the second day, the delegation toured the North Tongu District Health Directorate, a key player in the region’s response to the recent flooding. Discussions with the district health director and his team highlighted the impact of UKFCDO-supported interventions, particularly in providing psychosocial support to affected communities and training health workers in disease surveillance.

Dr. Katherine Attoh, Programme Officer at WHO, emphasized the importance of these interventions: “Partnerships like the one we have with UKFCDO enable us to deliver impactful solutions. The psychosocial support provided during the flooding has been instrumental in helping communities rebuild resilience, and the enhanced disease surveillance capacity is strengthening the health system overall.”

The UKFCDO Health Advisor, Mr. Dominic Farrell, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration. He said “We are delighted to see the meaningful outcomes of our partnership with WHO in the Volta Region. The dedication of the health workers and the tangible results achieved are commendable. We look forward to visiting other regions and deepening our collaboration to support Ghana’s health goals.”

This visit underscores the critical role of partnerships in advancing universal health coverage. Through UKFCDO’s funding, WHO has been able to support Ghana Health Service in improving data use, building capacity, and ensuring equitable and high-quality health services. The monitoring tour will continue to the Ashanti and Bono East regions, reaffirming WHO and UKFCDO’s commitment to strengthening Ghana’s health system for sustainable impact.