Ghana National Association Of Traditional Headers (Ashanti Region)
1. INTRODUCTION
The Government of Ghana admits that the “Golden Age of Business” can only be achieved through partnership with the private sector. “Success will be measured by the response of the private sector to the improved business environment (for example by private sector investment and growth/productivity performance indicators …)” according to the National Medium Term Private Sector Development Strategy 2004-2008 document.Government is aware that the Public-Private Sector Partnership is not working because of “weak, inefficient administration by the public service” which translates into time, money, risk and inefficiency for individual businesses. Government of Ghana, in its desire to enhance its capacity to make effective pro-private sector and pro-market decision, has decided “to support the development of private sector advocacy challenge funds, and put in place mechanisms to enable it to respond to such advocacy”.
The Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund sponsored by DANIDA, DFID and USAID is, therefore, the instrument by which the Public-Private Sector Partnership is to be achieved.
2. APPLICATION/OBJECTIVES
Ghana National Association of Traditional Healers, Ashanti Region (GNATH-AR), with a membership of 150 applied to BUSAC Fund in August 2004 (pilot phase) to obtain a grant to employ advocacy to fulfil a need that will help promote the enterprises of small-scale traditional medicine practitioners.The advocacy, targeted at the Ministry of Health and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, was to use the process of studies and dialogue to get the establishment of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC). The Council had been created by an Act of Parliament (Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 – Act 575), but the sector Ministry had not formed or constituted it.
The main object of the TMPC is “to promote, control and regulate traditional medicine practice, and one of the purposes is to set standards for the practice of traditional medicine.
The establishment of this Council, in the view of GNATH_AR, therefore, will help make traditional medicine a recognized alternative health delivery in Ghana.
3. THE EXPECTED BENEFITS
The benefits will be many for both the private sector of the economy and the Government’s social and economic development efforts.3.1 When the TMPC assists in raising the standard of herbal medicine, sick people can get treatment from traditional and established hospitals. This will reduce the pressure on public health facilities and also reduce the doctor-patient ratio.
3.2 These improvements will again reduce the expenditure of the Ministry of Health on the national budget, and the savings used to improve the level of other social services.
3.3 The traditional medicine practitioner will get more clients, earn a greater income for expansion of services, recruitment of assistants (employment creation) and give a better life to the family.
3.4 Altogether the health status of the population will improve and contribute to higher productivity at home and at work. Increased productivity means elimination or reduction in the waste of resources, and the savings achieved from productivity adding to the total national output.
4. THE ACTION AND ITS ACTIVITIES
The advocacy action started with a study of the clinical practices of herbal medicine and the preparation of a manual to assist in developing knowledge and skills of the practitioners. A proposal of recommendations was prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Health with a copy to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health. The goal was to get the Ministry of Health to constitute the Traditional Medicine Practice Council in order to help promote and develop herbal medicine in Ghana.Radio talk shows were organized on four radio stations in Kumasi to reach to the public with the message of safe and hygienic practice in order to improve the image of herbal medicine in the minds of the people.
5. THE RESULTS AND IMPACTS
5.1 The results of the advocacy have been tremendous.- The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has been formed and an office opened for the Council at the Ministries in Accra.
- The Council has initiated the preparation of a list of herbal drugs to be prescribed under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
- A delegation of the national association of GNATH has undertaken a study tour of India under the auspicies of the Ministry of Health.
- A manual of herbal medicine practice has been compiled for the training of the practitioners to assure safe and hygienic herbal preparations and treatment.
- Resulting from the radio talk shows and a press conference we carried out as part of the advocacy process, the image of the enterprise has improved. The practitioners (members) have recorded an increase in the number of patients who visited the clinics.
- The executive committee members have learned the use of advocacy through dialogue to resolve problems and constraints. They have thereby gained confidence in meeting officials in public and governments ministries and agencies to discuss their needs.
- The service provider has improved his organizing skills and in dealing with people operating in the informal sector of the economy.
- It is a pleasure to note that the current Minister of Health, Major (rtd) Courage Quashigah shows interest in herbal medicine and at any public forum extols the potency and benefits of herbal medicine.
- The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi has established a department for herbal medicine at the Faculty of Pharmacy. It is hoped that this department is going to help promote the study and practice herbal medicine in the country, a goal that coincides with our advocacy objectives.
6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Besides BUSAC Fund who supported our action in financial terms, the Service Provider has been on hand and committed to the completion and success of the action when the duration of the action run from 12 months to over 24 months. Prepared by Barnabas Sefa-Boakye
Service Provider
Business Ideas Consult, Kumasi
P. O. Box SN326, Kumasi
Tel: 027-775-1616
Email: bsefa_boakye@yahoo.co.uk
22nd May 2007
