CSOs urges Gov't for inclusion into national health policy formulation process


The Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), Dr. Joseph Amuzu has urged  government to include  Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in  Health within the country into the  national health policy formulation process so as to back  its efforts towards effective promotion of health delivery in Ghana. 
Dr. Joseph Amuzu made the call when he officially launched the fourth edition of the global watch report on Thursday at the Sun lodge Hotel near Tesano, a suburb of Accra.

His comment follows government’s failure to engage Civil Society Organizations in health within the country to be part of the recent national review of the health system meeting which was organized by government on Thursday and other subsequent programs similarly which it claimed to have been completely neglected.

The PPAG’s Executive Director wondered why {they} CSOs who partners government and significantly contribute their quota in addressing the health and sanitation issues in the country should not be given the chance to be part of the national health policy formulation processes.  

“As civil Society organizations in health, our activities complement the work which government is doing to protect and promote the healthcare delivery in Ghana. We are part of the system, we contribute a lot to the healthcare of people in Ghana but where it matters that we should also play a role in the policy formulation we are left out, why? ” he quizzed.

“We would like to be there, we would like to contribute, we would like to also know what is happening, we want to be active participants in that process; the policy formulation process. We want to be active in the planning, budgeting formulation process. We want to be active in the review meetings and we want to be active also in monitoring and evaluation roles. We are partners in this business and we should be there” Dr.  Amuzu demanded.

Explaining how CSOs in health can contribute their quota to sharing information to the public on the report, Dr. Joseph Amuzu charged the Civil Society Groups to ensure that the global watch report is reviewed, simplified and presented to the public and the policy makers as well, adding that’s how they can make an impact.

Dr. Amuzu lauded the media for a good job done by going round the country during the recent doctor’s strike to access the situation and report to the public. He called on CSOs in health to complement the effort of the media by partnering with them to keep a close watch on the national health issues.

He admonished all stakeholders within the water, sanitation and health (WASH) sector to focus more attention on the national health report rather than the global watch report which he personally outdoor.

He also urged the Ministry of Health and the Ghana health Service to keep a keen watch on the national health issues so as to take control and quickly resolve should there be any unfortunate eventuality.

He cautioned people against using the global watch report to criticize government but rather support him in finding lasting solutions to the problems highlighted in the report.

“Let me not scare anyone that keeping and producing a natural health watch is not about  criticizing government , on the other hand, it’s about supporting our government by bringing out some of the challenges that they might not be seeing but affecting the people daily” he posited.

The global health watch, now in its fourth edition is perceived widely as the definitive voice for an alternative discourse on health.

It integrates rigorous analysis, alternative proposals and stories of struggles and change to present compelling case for the imperative to work for a radical transformation of the way we approach actions and policies on health.

Global Health Watch 4 has been coordinated by five civil society organizations namely; the People’s Health Movement, ALAMES, Health Action International, Third World Network and Medact.
The earlier volumes of the Global Health Watch were first published in the years 2005, 2008 and 2011 respectively.

The launch of the fourth edition of the global watch report which brought together scores of Civil Society Organizations and other stakeholders in health included:  the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS), IPAS Ghana, Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) and the media.

The event was organized by People’s Charter for Health (PHM), Ghana on the theme: “Watchdogging an essential element to ensuring the right to health”. 
 CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO READ THIS NEWS ON OTHER WEBSITES

http://newsghana.com.gh/include-us-in-national-health-policy-formulation-process-civil-societies/

http://www.modernghana.com/news/639197/1/csos-in-health-call-for-inclusion-into-policy-form.html


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