Nkwantanan

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

Nkwantanan is located near the coast in the Central Region of Ghana. People in Nkwantanan are primarily dedicated to farming, fish mongering, trading, and day labor. A typical house in Nkwantanan is made of concrete blocks, mud, or wood. There is a kindergarten, primary school, and junior high school in Nkwantanan. There is a small clinic in Nkwantanan and a larger health center located in the nearby community of Papagya. There are 3 boreholes located in the community that provide access to safe drinking water to 30% of homes in Nkwantanan. Other community members must trek a long distance to collect water from the nearby river. Around 40% of homes have their own toilet facilities. There is no community bank in Nkwantanan that offers savings and loans services. The community expressed that their top needs are improvements to the health clinic infrastructure, an improved water system, and improved sanitation.

District: Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese (AAK)

Region: Central

Homes : 170
Population : 1839
Water System : Yes- needs repairs
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Clinic : Yes
Midwife at clinic : No
Homes with a toilet facility : 40%
Education : Up to junior high
Distance from nearest lodging facility : 45 min

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS:

The Nkwantanan CHPS Zone

There are two types of public health clinics available to rural Ghanaians: Health Centers and Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds. Health Centers serve large geographic areas within a district and are staffed by physicians. CHPS compounds serve small clusters of communities and are staffed by live-in nurses. The nurses provide basic services and, if capacity allows, they conduct home visits to families in the communities. 

Even with this coverage, it is important to note that medications, equipment, and essential infrastructure are often not available in these clinics and the physician density in Ghana remains around 0.2 physicians per 1,000 people. According to the World Health Organization, there should be a minimum of 2.3 physicians per 1,000 people to qualify a country as having adequate access to medical attention.

Nkwantanan CHPS Compound

Another key factor for health care access in Ghana is insurance. Ghana’s National Health Insurance plan offers universal coverage, but few rural community members are actively enrolled. During Medical Brigades, community members are educated about the benefits of health insurance, and are encouraged to enroll (or re-enroll) in the National Health Insurance Plan.

Nkwantanan has a CHPS Compound within their community. During their initial needs assessment with Global Brigades, community members expressed that the top three most common illnesses are malaria, respiratory infections, and anemia.

40

Volunteers

1041

Patient Consultations

182

Vision Screenings

11

Health Education Workshops

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Brigaders observe a patient consultation in the Nkwantanan CHPS Compound

Medical Brigade clinics are hosted in Nkwantanan‘s CHPS Compound. Volunteers assist local doctors and community nurses to serve patients at each station of the clinic. Each day of the brigade, an average of 4 educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 754
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES SERVED: Kokode, Musakrom, Kubekor, Homedakrom, Odumasi, Akokokrom

MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS IN NKWANTANAN:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
San Francisco State University Medical Brigade June 2019 31
King’s College London Medical Brigade July 2021 9

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Nkwantanan but has not yet begun with the Water Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, implementation of a water solution will start as soon as feasible.

Water System : Partial
System Type : Boreholes, river
Homes connected to water : 0
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Nkwantanan but has not yet begun with the Business Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, implementation of a micro-finance and business solution will start as soon as feasible.

 

Community Bank : No
Community Bank Members : N/A
Economic Activities : Agriculture
Existing microenterprises : small food stands

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Nkwantanan but has not yet begun with the Public Health Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, implementation of a public health solution will start as soon as feasible.

Homes with toilets : 40%
Common house materials : concrete blocks, mud

Local Reference Points

View the map to see the closest volunteer lodging facilities, hospitals, and other relevant points of reference.

  • Feature