Over 2,000 women, children benefit as FCSF champions healthcare access

Over 2,000 vulnerable women and children across Ghana have received free health services through a series of outreach initiatives by the Fortitude Child Support Foundation (FCSF), aimed at bridging the healthcare access gap in underserved communities.

Mrs Evelyn Kongo Duah, Executive Director of the Foundation, disclosed this during a free health screening exercise for mothers and children organised by the Foundation in collaboration with Soft Life Ghana on May 20, 2025, at Ayikuma Presbyterian Church.

She said the foundation’s focus on pregnant women and children was informed by the urgent need to address long-standing health inequalities that disproportionately affect these groups, particularly in remote areas.

“Our goal is to ensure that no woman or child is denied healthcare because of their location or financial status,” she said.

The Foundation, she said, organizes health screenings which include blood pressure monitoring, malaria and anaemia testing, nutritional assessments, developmental checks, and health education.

“We realized from our outreach activities that many women and children were suffering from preventable conditions, so we decided to take the services to their doorsteps,” Mrs Duah stated.

She said the Foundation screens for common but often overlooked health conditions such as hypertension, anaemia, malnutrition, and developmental delays in children.

Mrs Duah indicated that the foundation works closely with district health directorates, local clinics and community health volunteers to ensure that the services are culturally sensitive and widely accepted.

She stated that the feedback from communities had been overwhelmingly positive, with many local leaders supporting the mobilization of participants and encouraging continued care after the screenings.

Mrs Duah, recalling a touching experience, said a mother once brought a visibly weak child to a screening site, where the team diagnosed severe malaria and anemia.

The child was referred for emergency care and made a full recovery. “The mother came back with tears to express her gratitude,” she said.

She identified funding as a major challenge, affecting the continuity and expansion of the program.

She appealed to individuals, media houses, corporate bodies, and development partners to support the initiative through donations, volunteering, or partnerships.

She added that the foundation has plans to continue maternal and child health screenings in the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Central Regions in the coming months.