Please watch gender and health experts from Hen Mpoano in a webinar discussion of their population, health, and environment (PHE) activities in rural coastal communities in Ghana.
Hen Mpoano, a nongovernmental organization based in Ghana, envisions inclusive and integrated management of coastal and marine ecosystems to generate long-term socioeconomic and ecological benefits. The PHE approach aims to increase access to comprehensive reproductive health services and improve maternal and child health care practices while simultaneously improving natural resource management in project communities.
Drawing on Hen Mpoano’s many years of conservation experience, Stephen Kankam, deputy director; Adiza Ama Owusu Aduomih, gender officer; and Sylvanus Ennor Adonle, health expert, introduced the pilot PHE project the organization initiated in 2018. “Integrating Health and Family Planning into Greater Amanzule Wetland (GAW) Landscape Conservation and Small-Scale Fisheries Management in the Western Region of Ghana” aimed to create awareness of and interest in PHE approaches; strengthen systems for community-based distribution of contraceptives; promote access to health, environment, and livelihoods using PHE platforms; and foster institutional collaboration across sectors to build support for future PHE initiatives.
The webinar’s conversation focused on questions such as:
- Which communication tools and collaborative approaches were most effective for delivering the Hen Mpoano project’s PHE outcomes?
- To what extent did the project achieve its objectives and how is Hen Mpoano sustaining achievements beyond the project’s lifetime?
- What additional lessons learned could other PHE projects and organizations interested in the approach take from this experience?