Two organisations to support pregnant women in Dangme West District

Accra, April 3, GNA - The Government of Luxemburg and International Labour Organisation (ILO) is to support pregnant women with one million euros to enable them attend regular ante-natal and post-natal care at the various health facilities.

The pilot programme which begins next January, would cover 600 households in Dangme West District where each pregnant woman would receive $10 a month.

It is expected that the first five years of the programme would help build strong and healthy children for the country. Ms Veronica Wodsak, Health Policy Officer of Social Security Department of ILO announced this during a courtesy call on Dr George Sipa Yankey, Minister of Health in Accra on Friday. She said the idea behind the global social trust was to extend high levels of social protection being enjoyed among European workers to other countries in the world. Ms Wodsak said through a solidarity financing mechanism, transferred funds from European workers would be used to support the social trust to contribute gradually to build a stronger social protection mechanism everywhere. She commended Ghana for making great progress towards strengthening social protection.

"You have built up the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme," she added. Mr Armand Drews, City Councillor from Luxemburg said the social trust programme would focus on maternal and child health to build a strong and healthy future for Ghana. He said even though the initial programme was small it would be extended to many homes in future.

Dr Yankey, commended the two organisations for their concerns towards Ghana especially the poor in the country. He said this gesture would address some of the challenges faced by pregnant women who did not have the means to pay for transport to attend regular ante-natal and post-natal check ups to ensure healthy delivery. Dr Yankey urged other institutions to emulate their example and adopt other districts in the country to extend the programme nationwide. He called for support for neglected tropical disease such as Buruli Ulcer to reduce its infection in the country.