Community Participation In The Communitybased Health Planning And Services (Chps) Programme In Nkwanta District, Volta Region, Ghana

INTRODUCTION In trying to achieve the policy goal of providing adequate, efficient and equitable Primary Health Care services to all Ghanaians, in the face o f dwindling human and material resources, the Ministry o f Health has had to develop innovative and pragmatic health intervention strategies. O ne such strategy is the Com m unity-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) programme, a package o f rural health care system developed out o f the experiences o f the Com m unity Health and Family Planning Programme (CHFPP) at the Navrongo Health Research Center in the Upper-east region. The Kassena-Nankana District in the Upper-east region has been the pioneering district in the experim entation o f the approach w hile N kw anta district has been playing a leading role in adopting and implementing the approach. CHPS is a process o f strategic planning and implementation o f Primary Health Care activities within a com m unity with the full involvement and participation o f the community members. It is a process that emphasizes preventive health care and education through effective communication and com munity mobilization. The main activities include: 1. A situation analysis o f health care delivery within a given com m unity 2. Com munity consultation on health needs and prioritization o f such needs 3. Identifying and mobilizing resources both within and outside the com m unity 4. Designing a culturally appropriate service delivery package