Civil society health forum held in Accra

Saturday, September 26, 2009 (The Mirror Pg 18)
By Rebecca Kwei
The Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, Dr Esther Offei Aboagye, has called on the public sector to recognise the important role civil society organisations (CSOs) play in the health sector.
Dr Aboagye said the CSOs are important stakeholders in health delivery and the public service has no choice but to rely on their initiatives to help reach the unreached in society.
Dr Aboagye made the call at a two-day civil society health forum in Accra which was organised by the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health. It was on the theme “Reaching the Unreached: The role of civil society”.
She also called on the public sector to enhance its capacity to be able to accept the ability of civil society to deliver.
“There is an unfortunate tendency on either side to lump all together, public health practitioners seeing all CSOs as charlatans and CSOs seeing public health practitioners as all unfeeling and uncaring”, she noted.
She described the unreached as those who do not have access to acceptable, basic standards of health care.
She commended NGOs and CSOs for their support in health delivery in remote areas despite the numerous challenges that they face.
However, she said for CSOs to play its role effectively, they must be integrated into the sustainable institutions of the state which has the mandate and responsibility to ensure effective, equitable and quality life for all.
The Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, said the contribution of NGOs and CSOs to health delivery in the country was key and they cannot be left out if the health sector was to succeed.
He urged them to organise regular training to build their capacity and efficiency.
Dr Sory said although a good number of NGOs and CSOs were doing well, there were others who had ulterior motives and suggested that they review each other.
He also suggested that the organisations should find innovative ways of reaching the unreachable; not only in the rural areas but in the cities as well.
The Country Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Daniel Kerpesz, commended NGOs and CSOs for their role in the health sector and other areas and said their commitment had pushed issues of the vulnerable on the world agenda.
A representative of the Royal Netherlands, Mr Theophilus Ayugane, called on NGOs and CSOs to be more transparent and accountable to the constituencies they represent, improve research capacity and institute measures to expose fraudulent organisations.