In July 2016, the Government of Ghana shared an update on progress in achieving its policy, financial and program and service delivery commitments to FP2020.
The government reports performing the following activities in support of its program and service delivery commitment:
Community based nurses are presently used to deliver family planning services in rural areas including Implant services
- A total of approximately 2,100 auxiliary nurses have been trained in FP services, including contraceptive implants in line with the government’s task shifting policy (introduced in 2013) since the beginning of 2015. This has been achieved largely with support from partners (DFID, UNFPA, DANIDA, WAHO). This has led to a significant uptake of implant services.
- Training materials and job aids have been developed for auxiliary nurses across the country.
- Research is presently being conducted on the feasibility of task shifting in IUD insertion and removal.
The government of Ghana is working involve men in family planning in the various communities.
- The use of chiefs and male community leaders in community outreaches on family planning is ongoing. Reproductive health briefings have been carried out for the national houses of chiefs.
- Males who accompany their spouses for service are attended to promptly to encourage their continuous support.
- Workplace services, particularly condom distribution, continue to be supported.
The Government of Ghana is working to improve workforce training and options for task shifting:
- The training of auxiliary nurses is ongoing in all regions. Regional Resource Teams for FP have been established in all regions since 2015 to provide training and supervision. These teams have contributed to more than 2,100 auxiliary nurses being trained between 2015-2016.
- All the Regional Resource Teams have been trained in counselling, and they are rolling out the training of family planning service providers in the regions. All trainings include customer care.
- RHCS Facility survey was conducted in collaboration with UNFPA to assess FP service delivery in health facilities including customer care and client satisfaction. Findings will be used to improve customer care.
Postpartum and post-abortion care services are provided in all facilities that have trained personnel.
- In collaboration with IPAS and MSI comprehensive abortion services have been scaled up from 2 regions to 8 out of the 10 regions since 2015.
The Government of Ghana committed to offering expanded contraceptive choices including a wider range of long acting and permanent methods. Presently the method mix includes condoms, pills, implants, IUD’s/IUS, vasectomy and bilateral tubal ligation.
- Implanon has been introduced with a smooth transition to Implanon NXT in 2015.
- Sino implant has been introduced in the private sector by MSI Ghana.
- Limited quantities of IUS have been re-introduced in a few centers in the country.
The Government of Ghana committed to provide adolescent-friendly services for sexually active young people.
- All facilities are encouraged to offer adolescent friendly services.
Ghana has 218 fully functional adolescent friendly corners and 54 were built in 2015-2016.
The government reports performing the following activities in support of its financial commitment:
- The government continues to contribute to the purchase of FP commodities. In 2015, the government dedicated a significant proportion of its support from the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) of about US $1 million USD to the purchase of FP commodities. The ministry states that FP commodity gaps identified from the biannual forecast has always been filled by the government of Ghana.
- Progress in purchasing FP commodities has been affected by two main invents: The Central Medical Stores fire of 2015, which burned all commodities including contraceptives, and the delay in release of MDG Acceleration Framework Funds.
The government has allocated US $3 million USD for the procurement FP commodities in the 2016-2017 MAF plans and budget.
The government reports performing the following activities in support of its policy and political commitment:
- The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) law has been amended to include family planning (FP) in the benefit package. Full cost estimates including projections were submitted to NHIA in 2014/2015 and the NHIA has made a commitment in writing that includes all FP clinical methods. Currently the NHIS is undergoing restructuring after which implementation will begin.
