In partnership with USAID, Grand Challenge Canada and AMP Health, the Agency’s Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME) Division launched the Country Innovation Platform Pilot in Ghana. an initiative designed to address critical health challenges in the country by empowering local innovators to develop sustainable solutions.
In line with ongoing efforts by Networks of Practice, the CIP Ghana Pilot promotes collaboration, shared knowledge and innovation to strengthen Ghana’s health systems.
The event marked the culmination of months of collaboration between various stakeholders, who worked tirelessly to support local innovators. The selection of these innovations highlighted the importance of home-grown solutions in transforming the healthcare landscape, especially in the post-pandemic context.
In his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MEST), Mr Oliver Boachie, affirmed that innovation is central to national development. He further stated that the CIP Ghana Pilot exemplifies the power of innovation in addressing the challenges of the 21st centurySt A century into the health system, integrating science, technology and innovation into healthcare delivery.
He congratulated the winning innovators, whose achievements highlighted Ghana’s potential to develop effective solutions and encouraged them to continue pushing boundaries as their work had the potential to expand beyond national borders.
Mr Boachie reiterated the Department’s commitment to supporting innovators’ journey from idea to scale.
Dr Alberta Biritwum-Nyarko, Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana Health Service, announced that the new platform will create a structured framework for collaboration between innovators, health professionals, government agencies and development partners.
“This initiative aims to promote the co-creation of solutions to address critical health challenges in Ghana. By bringing together various stakeholders, the platform seeks to enhance innovation and improve health outcomes in the community,” he said.
Dr. Biritwum-Nyarko emphasized that the CIP pilot program aligns with Ghana’s national vision of universal health coverage (UHC) by promoting innovations that enhance access, affordability and quality of care. He urged stakeholders to openly participate in the platform and commit to constructive dialogue, stressing the importance of working together to achieve meaningful improvements in health.
He also reaffirmed the commitment of the Ghana Health Service to provide the necessary resources and oversight for the CIP Ghana pilot, ensuring its success as a catalyst for healthcare innovation in the country.
Referring to the monitoring aspects of the project, Dr. Biritwum-Nyarko said the Ghana Health Service is committed to building a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework to provide ongoing support to innovators, which will include site visits, cohort meetings, regional launches and regular updates.
He added that, with the help of key partners, GHS will fund and document each step of the implementation process to create a comprehensive repository of best practices.
