On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, dfree® Africa Foundation responded to a call for help by the Abuakwa South Municipal Health Directorate to support their work in rural communities around the municipality with medical equipment. The dfree® Africa team distributed equipment to Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) serving five communities, which help 2,092 children under the age of 5 and 2,744 women. 

The Municipal Chief Executive of Abuakwa South, Hon. Akosua Asabea submitted the appeal to dfree® Africa on behalf of the Health Service, indicating that acquiring the equipment could save the lives of several mothers and infants because the CHPS Centers provide the only access to healthcare in these communities.

Community-based Health Planning Services were introduced by the Ghana Health Service in 2004 as a pragmatic solution to bridging the gap in healthcare delivery. The Centers provide primary healthcare to remote, underserved, and unreached communities that have little to no access to clinics or hospitals.

Director Rhodalyn Yamoah of the Municipal Health Service received the items and thanked the dfree® Africa team. “This is the first time we’ve made an appeal and received a response within a month,” she said.

The items donated included adult and tared weighing scales, digital blood pressure readers, no-contact thermometers, medical privacy screens, Ambubags and fetal dopplers, all valued at approximately $1,500.