United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Bureau of Global Health, Kerry Pelzman, visited Ghana from November 13 – 15, 2019.

She was accompanied by a travel delegation including USAID Global Health Bureau Senior Advisor Aye Aye Thwin and USAID Africa Bureau West Africa Coastal Team Leader LaTrisha Chappin. 

During their visit, they met with Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu to discuss ongoing U.S.-Ghana health sector programs, including collaborative efforts to advance Ghana’s vision for universal health coverage and sustainable health financing. 

 The senior delegation also travelled to the Northern region to visit health facilities and water, sanitation, and hygiene sites sponsored by the American people through USAID and met with the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) in Tamale.

Kerry Pelzman and Aye Aye Thwin of USAID Bureau for Global Health center at Warrivi in the Mion district 

In the Northern Region, the delegation visited the new Community-based Planning and Services (CHPS) compound in Warrivi community, Mion District.

This CHPS compound was constructed with USAID support and inaugurated in January 2018. 

Since 2014, USAID has supported the construction of 26 fully equipped CHPS compounds across the Northern and Volta regions, and the renovation of 50 health facilities.

 The delegation also met with the Kpabia Water and Sanitation Management Committee to discuss community water resource management and visited a recently installed Digni-Loo, an affordable and durable latrine. 

In Kpabia, USAID constructed a latrine for the health facility and a piped water source for the school and helped to install donated Digni-Loos for the elderly and disabled members of their community, helping improve their quality of life.

Kerry Pelzman applauding the staff of the Warrivi CHPS compound

Before leaving Tamale, the delegation met with the NRCC to discuss the USAID supported Northern Region Management Information System (NORMIS), a digital platform that collects and analyzes sectoral data to inform district planning and decision-making.

They also discussed the U.S. government’s direct support through USAID to 17 district governments to improve nutrition and food security and to establish Village Savings and Loans Associations, which enabled community members to save resources and invest in the health and education of their families and income-generating opportunities. 

Since 2014, 96,000 women in northern Ghana saved $7.8 million through these Associations.

The visit by USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Pelzman’s delegation underscores the United States of America’s commitment to partner with Ghana to promote development in several key sectors to enhance the lives of Ghanaians.