Ghana

December 05, 2011
Blog

This blog tells the story of the author’s visit to Ghana where he saw women from HKN using the private sector to deliver health and hygiene to rural areas often overlooked by traditional global health programs.

February 06, 2012
Article

Maternal mortality is high and modern contraceptive use is declining in Ghana even as the unmet need for family planning has increased. The DKT Ghana initiative is a vital step in addressing these major health concerns. In a unique and innovative collaboration, funding for the Ghana contraceptive distribution effort was provided by DKT’s program in Indonesia. The Indonesia program now generates substantial revenue and is able to use some of these to support the Ghana initiative.

Through a grant awarded under Advancing Partners & Communities (APC), Precision Development Xperts addresses the unmet need for short-term family planning methods in up to five focus regions: Greater Accra, Central, Volta, Northern, and Western regions; diminish barriers to accessing health information and affordable products; and develop sustainable strategies to make these methods widely available.

Precision Development Xperts is a local Ghanaian NGO with an overall mission of empowering communities and individuals to adopt improved health behaviors for total human development. Over the years, Precision Development Xperts has implemented a number of health projects including bednet distribution, point of use water purification, and community-based family planning.

With additional funding provided by a grant awarded under Advancing Partners & Communities (APC), HKN plans to expand their community-based family planning (CBFP) project. The CBFP project aims to reduce the gap between the demand and the supply of HIV prevention and family planning (FP) products. The program provides access to affordable contraception, including condoms and oral contraceptives, as well as other products and services.

The HealthKeepers Network (HKN) was created to fill the health services and information gap in Ghana. HKN utilizes a franchise system that provides reliable service by mobilizing entrepreneurial women to distribute health commodities and information to rural villages. The system employs a door-to-door approach, encouraging community involvement in the distribution process. Community members and local caregivers are also encouraged to provide counseling on correct product usage.

Through a grant awarded under Advancing Partners & Communities (APC), DKT International plans to expand access to short-term FP methods and condoms through community-based service delivery. DKT Ghana will advertise on local radio stations and distribute products in the majority of existing private sector local outlets. These outlets include pharmacies, chemical shops, gas station shops, and supermarkets, as well as non-traditional outlets such as drinking spots, female sex worker (FSW) meetings locations, university residence halls, and NGOs.

DKT International is a non-profit that promotes family planning (FP) and HIV/AIDS prevention through social marketing. DKT International’s Ghana initiative uses two social marketing strategies to address the unmet need for FP. The organization drives demand by brand building using mass media and non-traditional communication. DKT also increases commodity security through the distribution of high quality, affordable contraceptives.

Report

This annual report shares how DKT International provided 23.6 million couple years of
protection, preventing an estimated 8 million unwanted pregnancies. DKT International also started new programs in Myanmar and Tanzania now working in 19 countries that account for 60% of the world’s population.

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