
Audio By Carbonatix
As Ghana’s health sector continues to adapt to evolving financing dynamics and supply chain pressures, an innovative intervention led by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) is delivering measurable gains in access to essential maternal and neonatal health (MNH) commodities and services in the Upper East and Upper West Regions.
Implemented under the Country Innovation Platform (CIP) Ghana Pilot, a strategic partnership between the Ghana Health Service (GHS), USAID’s Center for Innovation and Impact (CII), Grand Challenges Canada, and AMP Health, the project combines a Revolving Medicines Fund (RMF) with expanded service delivery through trained community pharmacy personnel.

The initiative is led by Dr. (Pharm) Harry Amoaning Okyere, Deputy Executive Secretary and Strategic Plan Manager of the PSGH.
Since implementation, the RMF has significantly strengthened commodity availability at participating facilities. During the current reporting period, 1,208 women of reproductive age and children received 1,824 units of essential MNH medicines through the RMF mechanism.
Importantly, clients realised an estimated 62% cost savings compared to open-market prices, driven by National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) reimbursements and competitively negotiated pricing for medicines not covered under the NHIS.

This model has reduced out-of-pocket expenditure while improving the predictability of medicine availability at facility level.
Family planning commodities, in particular, have shown consistently high demand across intervention sites, highlighting persistent unmet need for reliable contraceptive access in underserved regions.
By ensuring sustained stocking of reproductive health commodities, the RMF is directly supporting Ghana’s reproductive health priorities and helping facilities respond more effectively to client demand.

Beyond commodity financing, the project’s service delivery arm has further expanded access to essential care. Across 40 community pharmacies and through fee-for service model, trained community pharmacy personnel delivered 3,012 maternal, neonatal, and related health services to women of reproductive age.
Service delivery include treatment of common ailments, healthy lifestyle counseling, cardiovascular screening, and contraceptive counseling and provision as well as referrals to higher-level facilities, strengthening linkages within the health system.
Additional services included hemoglobin testing, menstrual hygiene support, and medication adherence counseling, while more specialised services such as medication therapy management, reconciliation, HIV prevention and care, psychosocial assessment, and safe abortion counseling were provided at lower but important levels.

This integrated public–private delivery model demonstrates the strategic value of structured partnerships in strengthening primary healthcare systems.
By combining sustainable pharmaceutical financing with task-supported community pharmacy service delivery, the initiative expands access points for women while reinforcing facility-level supply management and accountability.

The project’s progress has been made possible through strong collaboration with the Regional Health Directors in the Upper East and Upper West Regions, District Health Directorates, facility focal persons, and frontline providers whose commitment has ensured effective implementation and data reporting.
As Ghana advances toward Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly targets related to maternal and newborn survival, the PSGH-led CIP Ghana Pilot offers practical evidence that locally implemented, partnership-driven solutions can enhance medicine availability, reduce financial barriers, and improve access to essential MNH services in high-need regions.
Latest Stories
-
Flood victims to receive free psychological counselling as experts call for flexible work policies
9 minutes -
NADMO says it warned of heavy rains and took steps to reduce flooding in Accra
17 minutes -
Henry Quartey blames weak enforcement for worsening Accra floods
20 minutes -
India asks WhatsApp to pause username feature rollout over fraud concerns
23 minutes -
South African state complicit in xenophobic violence – Fiifi Boafo
26 minutes -
NPP North East Regional Secretary declares bid for chairman position, says he’s tried and tested
37 minutes -
Bus fares, rent, and school fees push Ghana’s inflation to 5.3% in June
42 minutes -
WANEP urges stronger youth inclusion in West Africa’s political decision-making
44 minutes -
GES debunks viral claim that floodwaters destroyed WASSCE papers
46 minutes -
Mindful Governance brings Karl George MBE’s AI Wake-Up Call to Ghana’s boards
50 minutes -
Solomon Owusu accuses South African government of backing attacks on Ghanaians
60 minutes -
Henry Quartey calls for broader representation on government’s Anti-Flood Taskforce
1 hour -
Finance Ministry releases GH¢350 million for flood relief and mitigation following Mahama directive
2 hours -
Flood-hit Ghana Digital Centres says staff not dismissed, contracts only temporarily suspended
2 hours -
No severe rainfall expected today, but showers likely over weekend – GMet
2 hours