EVALUATION OF THE DANFA COMPREHENSIVE RURAL HEALTH AND FAMILY PLANNING PROJECT IN GHANA (3/15/75-3/27/75)

THE DANFA COMPREHENSIVE RURAL HEALTH & FAMILY PLANNING PROJECT WAS ESTABLISHED TO IMPROVE RURAL HEALTH SERVICE & INCREASEFAMILY PLANNING ACTIVITIES. EVALUATON METHODOLOGY WAS BASED ON ON-SITE OBSERVATIONS, CONSULTATIONS WITH STAFF, INTERVIEWS, & MISSION RECORDS. PROJ HAS SERVED GHANA WELL. DEDICATN & SKILL OF PERSONNEL ARE GOOD. ALL PERSONS WHO HAVE COMPLETED TRAINING OVERSEAS HAVE RETURNED TO GHANA & ARE MAKING CONSIDERABLE CONTRIBUTNS TO THEIR COUNTRY HAVING ACQUIRED SKILLS PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE IN GHANA. STUDIES IN RURAL AREAS HAVE CLARIFIED THE NATURE OF HEALTH PROBLEMS FORMERLY DISTORTED BY CLINICS & HOSPITALS. ALTHOUGH THERE IS GOOD COMMUNICATN BETWEEN THE GHANA MEDICAL SCHOOL & MINISTRY OF HEALTH,CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATN COULD IMPROVE AT HIGHER LEVELS & WITH OTHER ORGANIZATNS. EVALUATN HAS BEEN HAMPERED BY: INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR EXAMINATN & ANALYSIS OF PRESENT DATA; DIFFICULTY IN MATCHING EVENTS RECORDED FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES; TOO SMALL A SAMPLING SIZE TO ADEQUATELY INDICATE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN FERTILITY & MORTALITY; HIGH RATE OF IMMIGRATN WITHIN GHANA WHICH ALTERS TRUE PICTURE OF POPULATN GROWTH IN THE AREAS STUDIED; IDENTIFYING THE BEST DELIVERY SYSTEM &INNOVATN METHODS FOR FAMILY PLANNING; &LACK OF FUNDS TO SUPPLY THE BASIC RAW MATERIALS NECESSARY FOR IMPROVING HEALTH. RECOMMENDADATNS ARE TO: CONTINUE PROJ THROUGH 3/1979 IN A MODIFIED FORM REDUCING "ACADEMIC" RESEARCH & INCREASING OPERATNAL RESEARCH OF A MORE IMMEDIATE,PRACTICAL NATURE; CONTINUE ASSESSMENT OF CLINICAL PREVENTIVE,HEALTH EDUCATN & FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES AS TO THEIR EFFECTS & COSTS; DISSEMINATE FINDINGS OF OPERATIONAL & EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATNS MORE RAPIDLY;STUDY WAYS TO USE HEALTH & FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES IN OTHER PARTS OF GHANA; STUDY EFFECTIVENESS OF DISEASE PREVENTN MATERIALS & PROCEDURES; EXPAND LOCAL & US TRAINING; PRODUCE A NEW SCHEDULE OF PROJECTED ACTIVITIES & EXPECTED PRODUCTS; USE MORE LOCAL STAFF; & EXPLORE REDUCTN IN US-BASED,UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PERSONNEL.