Malaria, diarrhea and more—These are diseases of poverty and causes of poverty.

Barriers of access and affordability for health protection products and information

Most of these conditions are completely preventable and/or treatable and surmountable. To this end, Freedom from Hunger’s has initiated its newest strategy, which is currently being developed in Ghana, to provide greater access to life-saving health products and health information for the rural poor. The program is known now MicroBusiness for Health.

Micro-Business for Health builds on the entrepreneurial spirit of women and Freedom from Hunger’s expertise in large-scale distribution of health training and service linkages in rural communities.

In Ghana, there are twenty-two million people—most live in rural communities—at risk of malaria, diarrhea and other such health problems which are the diseases of poverty and causes of poverty. The Ghana government through its Ministry of Health and the National Malaria Program, knowing that a strong health delivery system is critical for the development of the country, has developed and implemented various policies ( including malaria) and undertaken several reforms within the health sector, all aimed at improving the health and economic condition of its people. Despite the positive outcome and upward trend in the results from these policies and reforms, the health situation of Ghanaians today is still far from satisfactory.

Today, Ghanaians continue to suffer from the serious effects of malaria among other likes malnutrition, poor reproductive health. There is also of drug-resistant malaria, HIV/AIDS epidemics, and tuberculosis, as well as the persistence of diseases with high morbidity and mortality, such as acute respiratory infections and diarrhea. Those affected most severely by this situation are the rural poor.

The current situation calls for an innovative and integrated approach at all levels to fight the problem effectively. It must be through a self-help approach so as to ensure a lasting impact

I am in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Our office is located specifically at 44 Tetteh Kwei Street, Dzorwulu, Accra.
However, our intervention areas have started in the Awutu Efutu Senya Districts in the Central region and also in the Yilo and Manya Krobo districts in the Eastern region.
Our goal howver is to cover 80% of communities in Ghana over the next couple of years

Apart from Insecticide-treated mosquito nets and re-treatment kits, the following products are sold by the women (HealthKeepers)
• Household water treatment tablets
• Oral Re-hydration Salts with zinc
• Contraceptives (condoms)
• Reading Glasses
• Iodized salt

In addition personal care products (see below) are included in the basket of the Healthkeepers
• Feminine hygiene
• Toothpaste/toothbrush
• Lice-fighting and dandruff shampoo
• Moisturizing cream
• Talcum powder
• Hand washing soap
• Wound care: bandages, band-aids, etc

Averagely on the market a net cost for between $6 to 8 dollars depending on its size and the make.

There are, however, some which have been subsidised to about $2 for pregnant women and childdren below 5 years.
Net are not available to all,e specially those in the rural communities.

In addition, for some of them when they even find it they are not able to pay for it. They are therefore denied access
of such important life saving product

Today, Ghanaians continue to suffer from the serious effects of malaria, malnutrition, poor reproductive health, and water borne disease like diarrhoea.
These by far are the major public health problems that I am facing in my job.

Poor sanitation and the emergence of HIV/AIDS epidemics, drug-resistant malaria and tuberculosis, as well as the persistence of diseases with high morbidity and mortality, such as acute respiratory infections.

Those affected most severely by this situation are the rural poor.

There are also problem of access and affordability as well as serious brain drain of public

Yes, we do. How ever because of the problem access and cost of health care some retire to their faith

Current data available to me indicates that there are 26198 women participating in FFH credit with edication program in in Ghana.

The figures available to me also shows that in west Africa, there are 146792 women in all.

Thank you for your question. Once when I was on the field working and I came across a situation like that. A woman had just received her loan and her husband wanted her to give her some of the money for his own use.

She refused to give him because she said that her colleaques who guaranteed the loan for her will not be happy with her if she is not able to repay the loan.

She also said that since she joined the group she has seen remarkable improvement in her life so she is not going to risk an expulsion form it which will not only affect her but her entire family including her husband

This is Freedom from Hunger’s newest strategy, which is currently being developed in Ghana, to provide greater access to life-saving health products and health information for the rural poor.

Micro-Business for Health builds on the entrepreneurial spirit of women and Freedom from Hunger’s expertise in large-scale distribution of health training and service linkages in rural communities. Micro-Business for Health has launch women in rural villages in a microenterprise that promotes and protects health as well as provides an income for the woman herself.

Supported by a sustainable distribution system and linkages to locally available health services, Micro-Business for Health will reduce disease and death among the rural poor by significantly improving access to proven disease prevention and health-promoting interventions along with educating families in their use.
In other words MBH can be said

Not sure it is hard to "learn" but many of the practices might be hard to do. like negotiating how to protect themselves from HIV or using a bednet when they are not readily available.
Putting into practice things over which you do not have full control is the biggest challenge

With respect our newest initiative MBH, It requires a number of skills: managing a microfranchise, dealing with maintaining and re-stocking their inventory, door-to-door sales as well as group or campaign sales methods. Interestingly enough, the HealthKeepers pick-up all of the skills pretty quickly. Some of the business and accounting aspects are probably the hardest. Doing 'sales with a service' is probably what they like most.