Anglogold Ashanti Ghana, Obuasi Mine in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) health programme with support from Obuasi Municipal Assembly and Obuasi East District Assembly and their health directorates has launched a pandemic management Programme in its catchment areas.
The 3 years project will strengthen health delivery in Obuasi, expand health facilities and provide health equipment among other things.
Under the project, a robust strategy shall be implemented to address some of the recurrent challenges bedeviling healthcare delivery in AngloGold Ashanti’s communities holistically to ensure effective pandemic management in future.
Mr. Emmanuel Baidoo, Sneior Manager Sustainability of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine revealed that they “shall embark on rigorous sensitisation campaigns to promote healthy living and sound environmental management practices to prevent the outbreak of communicable and non-communicable diseases.”
Through the awareness creation, they shall also address issues of stigma associated with communicable and non-communicable diseases.
“As part of the project deliverables, we shall support strengthening of our health systems and local government structures and build pandemic preparedness capabilities” he added.
Mary Bonsu, Technical Advisor for the GIZ develoPPP Program, said the project is being run also at the Asanko Mine, Golden Star and the Iduepriem Mine of the AngloGold Ashanti. She revealed that the project seeks to enrol 60,000 community members into the Natonal Health Insurance Scheme, of which 50% are females and 25% youth and are active in usage and renewal. She added that Company, through the project will push resources to support community growth.
“10,000 community members (in the Mine’s catchment areas) will benefit from tests to determine their health status including COVID-19 and 70% of them would have increased their score by 20% between the begining and the end of the project” she said.
The Obuasi East District Heath Director, Delphine Gborgblorvor praised the Mine for the project and said it will help Obuasi to be prepared for any health emergency.
