The Global Health Workforce Programme (GHWP) was launched in Accra on February 21, 2024 by the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The programme, which is financed by the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), intends to fortify the health workforce and create more robust health systems for post-pandemic recovery.
The Programme has the ambition of achieving more resilent health systems for post-pandemic recovery and supporting progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Grants for new or existing Health Partnerships between UK, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria have been awarded to respond to national workforce priorities identified through scoping assessments carried out in each country. Among the grant awardees in the country are, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana, College of Physicians and Surgeons and Public Health Association of Ghana,
The trust is happy to start the programme, which offers substantial financing to facilitate the sharing of skills between Ghanaian and UK-based health professionals, according to Mr. Ben Simms; Chief Executive Officer of THET. He also reiterated that, medical personnel are the backbone of any healthcare system, and attaining universal healthcare depends on their efforts. He was hopeful that the programme will help Ghana's health workforce grow.
Madam Louise McGrath, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of THET, in her address stated that the initiative will also assist health partners in addressing national health workforce priorities to create more robust and resilient health systems.
World Health Organization's representative in Ghana, Prof. Francis Chisaka Kasolo explained that the programme aims to develop gender equality-promoting health workforce initiatives and partnerships that would enhance the leadership ability of the health workforce.
He further emphasized that the amount of high-quality training opportunities for healthcare professionals will increase, collaborations will be formed that support retention and wellness initiatives, and knowledge about health workforce interventions which will be documented and disseminated to significant domestic and global stakeholders.
The three African partner nations would profit from possible cross-border collaboration, Prof. Kasolo said, since it would enable them to exchange best practices from their continent. The initiative will help the nation achieve its health goals by investing in the health workforce, which will also enhance international security and sustainable development.
Mrs. Philomina Woolley, the Acting Registrar of Nursing and Midwifery Council (N&MC) stated that, the grant is built on a previous THET, N&MC and University of Huddersfield project; which recommended that the N&MC bring in a system of revalidation for nurses and midwives to help improve the quality of nursing and midwifery practices in the country.
As part of the revalidation process, the MIS staff at the Council will build capacity to develop a portal for logging in of requirements for revalidation in terms of CPDs, and reflective ractice of care rendered to patients. Mrs. Woolley emphasized that, the enrollment of revalidation will decrease the public outcry to the barest minimum.
Senior lecturer in Adult Nursing, Precious Adade Duodu from the University of Huddersfield also stated that "one of the key thing to help a nurse/ midwife is to continually reflect on what they do on daily basis that will help them to learn, unlearn, incorporate new knowledge and ideas to the practice ".
Dr. Kwesi Asabir, Director of human resource at the Ministry of Health in his address commended THET for the programme; calling it a critical platform for engaging and looking at human resource management from a global perspective, partnering to understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, and understanding the global health workforce as a single challenge that requires everyone's involvement. Dr. Asabir officially launched the programme to kick start in the country.
