On December 5th 2024 at the Villa Monticello Boutique Hotel in the Airport residential area of Accra, the National Executive Council of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana met with its key stakeholders with the aim to disseminate the society’s five-year strategic plan with them. The plan was unveiled at the society’s annual general and scientific conference held in Koforidua on November 2nd 2024 where it was officially launched by the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana Hajia Mrs. Samira Bawumia.

The strategic plan document outlines the Society’s key goals, aspirations and strategic activities towards promoting quality sexual and reproductive health for women and girls in Ghana.

The important dissemination engagement shared SOGOG’s key priority Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR); and Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) areas of focus for the next five years. The meeting also aimed to build and strengthen support and mutually beneficial partnerships that would drive its mission of achieving equitable sexual and reproductive health for women and girls and raising the standard of practice of obstetrics and gynaecology in Ghana to the highest level attainable.

On behalf of the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services – Dr. Akosua Owusu-Sarpong chaired the dissemination meeting which saw sixteen stakeholders/partners represented:

1. Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service – Dr. Marion Okoh-Owusu (Director)
2. Division of Allied Health at Ministry of Health – Dr. Ignatius Awinibuno (Director)
3. Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection – Vera Karikari Bediako (Principal Programme Officer)
4. John Snow International – Dr. Henry Nagai (Country Director)
5. JHPIEGO – Pearl Nanka-Bruce (Country Director)
6. Oxfam Ghana – Mohammed Mahamud (Program Manager)
7. PATH – Patience Cofie (Country Manager) Patience Dapaah (Advocacy Advisor)
8. USAID GHSC-PSM – Nathaniel Nartey (Program Officer)
9. Medical Women Association of Ghana – Dr. R.N.A.T. Dawson (President Elect) Dr. Elizabeth Agyare (Executive Member)
10. Clinton Health Access Initiative – Joyce Amedoe (Senior Program Manager, SRMH) Owuraku Oppong-Peprah (Analyst)
11. Christian Health Association of Ghana – Georgina Benyah (Deputy Director, GA)
12. Paediatric Society of Ghana – Dr. Hilda Boye (President)
13. PharmAccess – Dr. Gifty Sunkwa – Mills (Program Director)
14. UNFPA – Dr. Devine Atupra (MHTF Consultant)
15. PPAG – Antoinette Da-Rocha (Program Coordinator)

The National Executive Council of SOGOG was represented at the meeting. The President of SOGOG Dr. Ali Samba in his opening remarks and welcome address thanked the Partners and stakeholders for their support over the years and continued demonstration of commitment to the cause of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in Ghana. He further invited the partners to leverage SOGOG’s rich skilled expertise for implementation their respective SRH and RMNCAH programmes for enhanced impact. The General Secretary Dr Promise E. Sefogah in his presentation dubbed: ‘SOGOG yesterday, Today and the future’ oriented participants on the Society’s activities over the years including the impactful life-saving annual surgical outreaches to deprived and hard-to-reach communities where significant needs for major gynaecological surgeries remain unmet and otherwise impossible. He applauded Ernest Chemists Limited, a leading Ghanaian-owned Pharmaceutical Manufacturer for their constant support for the Society’s surgical outreaches over the years. The supportive roles of the World Health Organization and Ghana Health Service to SOGOG were also acknowledged while other Partners were encouraged to join forces with SOGOG for synergy. The SOGOG Vice President, Dr. Thomas Konney led the presentation on the overview of the SOGOG Five-year strategic plan and shared its details with participants followed by widespread commendation and pledges of support from all partners present. The Society’s Financial Secretary, Dr. Ama Ghunney and SOGOG-SOGC

Collaboration Lead, Dr. Charles Takyi were present. Dr Ama Ghunney expressed the Society’s special appreciation to stakeholders for honouring SOGOG’s invitation and their active participation.