Ghaned for Health

History

On a study tour of Dutch physicians to Ghana in 2009, contact was made with the regional hospital Abura Dunkwa in the Central Region. Upon visiting the hospital, mutual interest for a partnership with respect to chronic illnesses arose.

Complications of untreated or undertreated diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) are heart attacks, brain hemorrhage or blindness, among others. As health care in Ghana is directed more to handle transferable diseases and less focused on chronic disease, these complications are seen in increasing numbers. In the Netherlands physicians and practice nurses are well-acquainted with treatment programs for hypertension and diabetes. By providing training and by helping to establish local protocols we can aid improving healthcare for patients with hypertension and diabetes.

Cordaid and Anbi
Our project is supported by Cordaid, a large international aid agency, with much experience in health care projects in countries like Ghana.They support us by sharing knowledge and networks and also with limited financial support.
Our project has a dutch Anbi number, which means it is an registered charity and gifts are tax-deductable.

Mission
Our charity supports health care professionals in Ghana.
We aim to establish treatment programs for patients with hypertension and diabetes.

Goal
Aim of this project is to improve the treatment of chronic diseases in Ghana. This project also aims to interchange experience and knowledge. Dutch physicians and nurses, after they have lectured and trained in Ghana, will have gained additional insights to better treat patients from different cultures living in Holland.

Plans
To reach our goal steps were defined:
Construct and equip a outpatients clinic for the treatment of chronic diseases.
Organizing meetings with counterparts for the development of guidelines and protocol with regards to providing health care to people with high blood pressure and diabetes.
Train nurses and community health workers to provide health care to diabetics and high blood pressure patients and to educate patients on community level.
Train two nurses in the Netherlands. Among other subjects, attention will be paid to implementing, coordinating and improving protocol based health care in Ghana.
Implement delegated health care based on protocol for diabetics and high blood pressure patients