Key national stakeholders gathered in Accra, Ghana December 14th-16th for a three-day Engagement Workshop focusing on the role of private health care providers and ways in which they can contribute more to improving the health of all Ghanaians, especially the poor.

The workshop, coordinated by the R4D assessment team led by Stephanie Sealy and Marty Makinen, brought together leaders from across the country to present data, identify gaps, and begin formulating recommendations for policy changes.

Results from a study of the private sector conducted by Results for Development and their local partners, the Centre for Health and Social Sciences (CHeSS), were presented and used as the basis for the workshop.

Representatives from the ministries of health and finance, parliament, various regulatory bodies,and provider and professional associations engaged in vigorous debate on several critical topics, including:

• The pharmaceutical supply chain
• The regulatory environment and its relationship to private providers
• The outcomes of consumer focus groups related to views of public and private providers

In his address during the opening session, Ghanaian Minister of Health Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor commended R4D and CHeSS on the execution of this IFC-sponsored project.

For more information on the workshop and to view the Ghana News Agency article, please visit: www.ghananewsagency.org/s_health/r_10463/.