Community Health Nurses Association, Ghana Holds Delegates Conference

The National Delegates Conference of the Community Health Nurses Association, Ghana (COHNAG) has taken place at Koforidua in the Eastern region.

The conference, the 13th in a series, was on the theme: "Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: The Role of Community Health Nurses at the CHPS Zone."

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour, pledged government's commitment to using the resources available to ensure that health services reached every child in every district throughout the country.

Mr Darfour urged COHNAG to redefine its role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and gave the assurance that the Regional Co-ordinating Council would support the Regional Health Administration to facilitate the work of the community health nurses.

In an address, Dr (Mrs) Charity Sarpong, Eastern Regional Director of Health, said the contribution of community health nurses was critical to helping achieve the SDG target of universal health coverage for everyone, adding that community health nurses played an important role of bringing health service closer to the people, even in most difficult-to-reach areas.

In her remarks, Ms Esther Frepomaa Bamfo, National President of COHNAG, expressed gratitude to government for the introduction of top-up programmes for the community health nurses, adding, however, that the decline of study leaves to pursue such programmes was defeating the purpose of the laudable initiative.

She appealed to the Ministry of Health and its allied agencies to help review the Health Professions Act to address the occasional difficulties that came their way.

On his part, Nana Baffour Nyantakyi Tutu Boateng, Krotihene of New Juaben Traditional Area, expressed the hope that the government would provide the requisite logistics to motivate the community health nurses to work hard.

Source: ISD (Evelyn Harvey)

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