The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Ghana, Dr Fiona Braka, and the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Caroline Reindorf Amissah jointly visited the Ahafo Region to engage with health leaders, frontline workers and local authorities, to gain first-hand insight into the region’s achievements, challenges and priorities as well as areas for collaboration.
Although Ahafo is one of Ghana’s newest administrative regions, it has rapidly emerged as one of the country’s best-performing health regions. Through committed leadership, a dedicated health workforce and strong partnerships, the region continues to make significant progress in immunization, maternal and child health, disease surveillance and prevention, and primary health care.
The visit focused on learning from the region’s successes while identifying opportunities to further strengthen health service delivery and ensure no community is left behind.
The tour began at the Tano South Municipal Health Directorate, where discussions highlighted the municipality’s commendable work in immunization, alongside other priorities including maternal health, workforce capacity development and improving access to quality health services. Recognizing the importance of collaboration beyond the health sector, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Tano North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Pious Sampson Opoku, to discuss the role of local authorities in supporting health initiatives.
The MCE reaffirmed his commitment to working with health stakeholders to improve the well-being of communities within the municipality.
The delegation also paid a courtesy visit to the Ahafo Regional Minister, Hon. Charity Gardiner, where discussions focused on key health priorities, including strengthening immunization, reducing maternal mortality and advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Dr Braka thanked the Minister for the region’s continued support to health initiatives and emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration between political leadership, health authorities and communities.
The team later visited Brosankro Health Centre and Tanoso Health Centre to engage directly with frontline health workers and observe service delivery.
At Brosankro Health Centre, the delegation was impressed by the commitment and resilience of health workers who continue to provide essential services despite challenging working conditions. Dr Braka commended their dedication and emphasized that frontline workers remain central to achieving Universal Health Coverage.
For Abena Adusi Pokua, a midwife at Brosankro Health Centre, the visit was a rare and motivating moment for staff.
“It is not often that we receive visits from the WHO Representative and the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, especially here at the frontline. Their presence means a lot because it shows that our work is seen and appreciated. It motivates us to continue giving our best despite the challenges we face every day”.
At Tanoso Health Centre, the delegation commended staff for maintaining an impressive facility and encouraged them to continue building on their achievements to deliver quality health services to the community.
The final stop of the tour was the Ahafo Regional Health Directorate, where Dr Braka and the team reviewed and progress in key health sector performance indicators. Discussions focused on sustaining the region’s gains, addressing coverage gaps and identifying strategies to reach underserved populations with essential health services.
Reflecting on the visit, Dr Braka commended the region’s progress while calling for continued action to build on existing achievements.
“Ahafo Region has demonstrated what is possible when committed health workers, strong leadership and effective partnerships come together. The progress we have seen is remarkable, but we must continue doing more to reach underserved communities, strengthen primary health care and ensure everyone has access to quality health services”.
Dr Caroline Amissah Reindorf also expressed appreciation to health workers across the region for their dedication and acknowledged the important role of WHO’s partnership in strengthening Ghana’s health system.
“The achievements we celebrate today are a result of the dedication of our health workers, who continue to serve their communities with commitment and professionalism. We appreciate WHO’s consistent technical support and partnership over the years, which has contributed greatly to strengthening our health system and improving health outcomes”.
The visit reinforced the importance of strong partnerships, data-driven decision-making and a motivated health workforce in advancing Ghana’s health goals.
Ahafo stands as an example of how leadership, health workforce commitment, community participation and stakeholder collaboration can translate health investments into better outcomes for people.
