UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed tour project sites in Accra

Amina J. Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, on Monday, toured some project sites in Accra, to appreciate the work of the UN and its partners to support Ghana attain the Sustainable Development Goals.

At the Adabraka Polyclinic, Ms Mohammed and her entourage made up of dignitaries from some UN Agencies in Ghana including the United Nation’s Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), as well as some government officials, were conducted round the Maternal and Child Health Care Unit, and the Family Planning section.

Ms Mohammed in a short message said the UN had enjoyed its collaboration with stakeholders and remained committed to further strengthen multilateral engagement for the successful implementation and attainment of the global Agenda 2030.

She commended the management of the facility and encouraged its professionals to keep up the good work to help minimise the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups including women and children.

Dr Abdul Razak Quao, the Medical Director of the Adabraka Polyclinic, later explained that the focus on these vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children had become more critical especially in the era of the pandemic, which was anticipated to cause a reduction in access to maternal and child health care services globally.

He said in Ghana, some child welfare clinics were selected to facilitate easy access to such services to ensure that these vulnerable groups were not affected by the adverse effect of the pandemic, adding that the Adabraka Polyclinic happened to be one of these centres.

Dr Quao said the facility between February and April recorded a 50 per cent drop in its client record due to the fear and uncertainty of the myth surrounding the outbreak in relation to the health care facility environment.

However, the facility through the WHO guidelines to health professionals on how to handle clients and provide them with requisite education on their health, and especially on the COVID-19 safety protocols during and after the lockdown periods, had been able to improve it client patronage, he said.

Dr Quao, said through the sustained education, encouragement and assurance of the safety of the facility given by the health care professionals, patronage at its child health and family planning clinics had now regained momentum, with all the COVID-19 preventive and safety protocols especially the social distancing rule, being fully observed.