U.S. funding to address basic health in Ghana 'noble' but improving access to health care still imperative

Feb 29 2012

A joint agreement recently signed by the Ugandan Ministry of Health and the U.S. Government's Global Health Initiative (GHI) to carry out collaborative initiatives targeted at "bringing quality health care to Ugandans" is "a significant effort that should, with proper implementation, improve health care services, particularly by reducing pregnancy-related deaths," a Daily Monitor editorial states. 

"Such funding from the U.S. government and other development partners are noble. ... Our challenge, however, is to improve implementation to ensure that the impact of such initiatives are felt by those who need it most -- the rural population who barely have access to health facilities," the editorial writes. "It is positive that under the GHI strategy, the U.S. Government and the Ministry of Health will focus on voluntary family planning, skilled care at birth, emergency obstetric care, and postpartum care. The key challenges faced by rural mothers such as lack of good road network and transportation must, however, be addressed if these mothers are to benefit from such initiatives," it concludes (2/27).