INTERSECTORAL COLLABORATION (ISC) FOR ACCELERATED HEALTH IMPROVEMENT IN GHANA

A DISCUSSION PAPER PRESENTED AT THE HEALTH SUMMIT AT GIMPA: 19 – 23 NOV DR. YAO YEBOAH

METHODOLOGY Review of Relevant Literature Key Informants Interview MDAs Covered: Min. of Food & Agric. Min. of Water Resources, Works & Housing. Min. of Local Gov, Rural Dev. & Environment. Ghana Education Service

National Dev. Planning Commission (NDPC) Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) Ministry of Health Ghana Health Service Food & Drugs Board

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF INTER- SECTORAL COLLABORATION Collaboration: An Invitation to Participate Consensus Building Promoting the building of Strategies Facilitating Coordinated Actions Bringing Resources for Mutual Benefit Inter-dependence

INTER-SECTORAL FOR HEALTH Includes: MDAs The Private Sector Development Partners Civil Society Religious Bodies/FBOs NGOs CBOs & The Local Community The Mass Media

ISC FOR HEALTH DEFINED A voluntary alliance or cooperative working relationship of Parties who are committed to share responsibilities, resources, risks and benefits based on transparency and mutual trust in a mutually interdependent fashion to improve the Health Status of a defined population.

FIGURE 1. DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH LIFESTYLE/BEHAVIORAL FACTORS Values, Beliefs, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Health Seeking Behaviour Household & Community Health HEALTH SERVICE FACTORS Policies Programs Organisation Financing Delivery Regulation GENETIC/HEREDI CTORY/ACQUIRED FACTORS ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Governance Global Community Culture Infrastructure Income Food/Nutrition Water Sanitation Education Security Housing

Some Reasons why Past Efforts at ISC for Health did not work well: Health is not considered as a key factor in Development Health Services are perceived as Health & the prerogative of MoH Vertical Health Programmes Health Sector alone should Fund ISC NDPC not well resource to Lead ISC No Incentives for ISC DA Act 462 & GHS Act 525 DAs not adequately oriented on ISC.

ISC FOR HEALTH – THE WAY OUT MoH – Lead the process & Invest more in Advocacy Bring on Board MDAs like Food &Agric., Local Gov.,Water Resources, Works & Housing, Education, Roard & Transport, Standards Board. Re-define ISC to include Private Sector, Dev. Partners, FBOs, NGOs, CBOs, Mass Media etc. MoH invest in changing the mind-set on Health & ISC

MoH lead in organizing Stakeholders Consensus Building at National, Regional & District Levels Govt. build the Capacity of NDPC to lead ISC for Health Cabinet lead in the formation of Inter-Ministerial Committee on Health & Dev. (IMCHD) MoH & GHS use existing structures & mechanisms at Regional & District Levels for ISC. Gov. make Policy on Food Safety GHS lobby DAs to form District Health & Dev. Planning Committees for ISC.

T HANK Y OU!