Annual Programme of Work 2005 - Ministry of Health

1. INTRODUCTION
The Government of Ghana is committed to improving the health status and maximizing
the potential healthy life years of all individuals living in Ghana by working in
partnership with Development Partners, other Ministries, Departments and Agencies
(MDAs), the private sector, Non Governmental Organizations, communities and
individuals. This commitment to health is expressed through the Five Year Programme of
Work 2002-2006 (5YPOW).
The 5YPOW spells out the objectives, strategies and targets to be achieved by the end of
2006. However, each year, an annual programme of work is developed to provide the
policy thrust and resource envelope for that particular year. The progress and lessons
from previous years nevertheless shape the policy thrust for the annual programme of
work.
This year, 2005, marks the fourth year into the implementation of the 5YPOW. The thrust
for the year is therefore based on achievements and constraints in the last three years with
an eye on targets set for 2006. Progress during the first three years of implementing the
5YPOW has been mixed. For example the coverage of EPI and family planning services
improved; outpatient per capita and coverage of DOTs were sustained. The sector
however recorded a decline in both Guineaworm and polio eradication. Slow progress
was recorded in scaling up known cost effective interventions such as Integrated
Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI), and interventions such as ITNs and IPT that
are required for preventing malaria.
The 2003 Demographic and Health Survey (published in 2004) revealed that the
sustained decreases in infant and child mortality rates recorded since 1993 are being
reversed, in spite of growing investments in the health sector. The reasons for this
reversal are being analyzed. Nevertheless, the focus of this programme of work is to
implement credible programmes that will put the country back on track towards the
Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality by thirds of the 1990 level by
2015. We believe this is possible because of the positive trend in the Upper East region
where Under Five Mortality Rates dropped by about 50% between 1998 and 2003.
The theme for the 2005 programme of Work is “Bridging the inequalities gap:
addressing emerging challenges with child survival’. In line with this theme, the lessons
in the Upper East Region will be documented and used to guide scaling up of child
survival and development programmes to other regions. Other priorities to be addressed
in the programme of work are:
• Mainstreaming the pro-poor agenda in the health sector
• Improving the quality of clinical services and accelerating the key public health
interventions, especially malaria control
• Pursuing intersectoral collaboration in order to address the broader determinants of
health
1