INTEGRATED HEALTH INTERVENTION PROJECT (IHIP)
The Integrated Health Intervention project (IHIP) is a three-year programme that was launched in 2016, in the Anglican dioceses of Cape Coast and Sunyani. Its overall purpose was to contribute to the reduction of communicable diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea and HIV/AIDS. USPG supported this programme for the duration of its implementation.
The programme launched with four key objectives. The first of these was to increase the number of children under the age of five who received treatment for malaria and pneumonia within 24 hours of falling ill by 20 per cent. The second was to get more women (pregnant and/or of reproductive age) to use long-lasting insecticidal nets and Intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy. The third objective was to reduce diarrhoea-related diseases among children under the age of five, again by 20 per cent. The fourth was to improve care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS.
In both dioceses, the programme devoted a lot of its time and resources into educating children on health issues. Churches in the dioceses sent health teams to local schools, where they ran training sessions on personal hygiene and on ways to prevent the spread of malaria and diarrhoea. One positive outcome of this what that when the children brought what they had learned home and put it into practice, their parents would start practising it too.
The health teams also worked extensively with local churches, giving congregations a lot of valuable advice on personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness. The response from the churches was very positive. Church members often asked the health teams to make regular visits.
