Anglogold Ashanti, GIZ launch project on pandemic management in Obuasi

Anglogold Ashanti Ghana, Obuasi Mine has partnered develoPPP health, a Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) health programme, to launch a comprehensive pandemic management Programme in Obuasi.

The objective of the Pandemic Management Plan is to develop and implement a robust strategy to holistically address some of the recurrent challenges confronting healthcare delivery in beneficiary communities to ensure effective pandemic management in future.

Aside Anglogold Ashanti Ghana, Obuasi Mine, the GIZ is also partnering major mining firms including Asanko Gold, AngloGold Ashanti, Iduapriem and Golden Star Resources to implement the project.

Throwing more light on the project, the Senior Manager Sustainability Anglogold Ashanti, Emmanuel Baidoo said the project dubbed ‘Pandemic Management in Catchment Communities in Times of COVID-19 & Beyond’, is in response to the lack of emergency preparedness awareness and emergency preparedness capabilities in communities which were evidenced during the COVID-19 outbreak.

He said Anglogold Ashanti and its Stakeholders; the Obuasi Municipal and Obuasi East Assemblies, the Health Directorates of the two Districts, AGA health Foundation and AGA Malaria Control see the project as an opportunity to leverage each other's strength so that they can expand their capacities and capabilities to ensure that the impact of the Community Health Programmes implemented will be much felt and consolidated.

Under the project, Mr. Baidoo said the Stakeholders will embark on rigorous sensitization campaigns to promote healthy living and sound environmental management practices to forestall the outbreak of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and also deal with the stigma that such diseases come with.

Again, the Sustainability Manager said as part of the Pandemic Management Plan, AGAG will liaise with the Health Directorates to expand health facilities and extend support in terms of Maternal Health, Disease prevention and Environmental Health. These he said will be implemented alongside the yet to be unveiled 10-year Socio-economic Management Plan of the company

Technical Advisor for develoPPP health-GIZ, Mary Bonsu, elaborated key objectives the project will seek to achieve.

“Currently, 60,000 community members have been enrolled into the National Health insurance Scheme (NHIS) and are active in usage and renewal. 10,000 catchment community members have taken a test to determine their health literacy including COVID-19, and 70 percent of them have increased their score by 20 percent between beginning and end of the project,” she said.

Furthermore, some 150,000 community members have received medical care, including vaccinations and medical screening, as part of this project.

Ms. Bonsu explained the projects will be implemented for at least three years ( September, 2021 to August, 2024) , under development partnerships funded by the German government through the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by GIZ through the develoPPP programme.

Director of Health at the Obuasi East District Health Directorate Delphine Gborgblorvor lauded Anglogold Ashanti and GIZ for the project. She said the effects of COVID-19 has taught the world lessons on how to develop comprehensive plans to deal with emergency situations hence the project will help Obuasi to be adequately prepared for future emergencies.

The Municipal Coordinating Director of Obuasi, Francis Dwira Darko who represented the Municipal Chief Executive pledged the Assembly's support and cooperation to fully implement the Community Health programme for Obuasi.

Nana Serwaa Buruwaa, Akrokerihemaa praised Anglogold Ashanti for the Health Intervention programs and projects they have implemented over the years. She said, " you have demonstrated to us that you are not only here to mine gold but you also have the socio-economic and health needs of the people in your operational area at heart".