Dodo-Tamale, a Community that gets CHPS Compound Through COMM Interventions

Story by Petrina Dery, Project Officer - Healthy Environment And Wellness

Dodo Tamale is one of the 134 communities in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region of Ghana. Here, the main crops grown are cocoa, rice, maize and cassava. The community is lush and green, especially during the rainy season, with trees adorning the picturesque landscape of mountains, hills and valleys.

In 2015, a Community Health Management Committee (COMM) was established in Dodo Tamale with eight members (three women and five men). Initially, the committee was inactive due to a lack of proper coaching and mentorship. This changed when World Vision Ghana supported the District Health Directorate to train seven COMM committees covering five CHPS zones with 37 members (12 women and 25 men). The training focused on the functioning of the COMM and its role in promoting quality health services. Each committee developed an action plan to improve health services in their respective communities.

Dodo Tamale's Community Health Management Committee was one of the beneficiaries of the COMM training in March 2023. The committee's chairman Seyram expressed his newfound understanding: "This training has made me realize that there is a lot we can do to help our community. At first, we only relied on the District Assembly for support, which we barely got. But now I know how to mobilize resources to improve health delivery in my community."

Previously, Dodo Tamale lacked a health facility, with the nearest healthcare available in Pepesu, about 5km away. This distance posed significant challenges, especially during emergencies and childbirth, often resulting in home deliveries.

Dodo Tamale Community Health Management Committee was one of the beneficiaries of the COMM training in March 2023. Committee chairperson Seyram expressed his new-found understanding: "This training has made me realise that we can do a lot to help our community. At first, we only relied on the district assembly for support, which we hardly got. But I know how to mobilise resources to improve health services in my community.

Previously, Dodo had no health facility, with the nearest health facility being in Pepesu, about 5km away. This distance posed significant challenges, especially for emergencies and childbirth, which often resulted in home deliveries.

Two health workers, a Community Health Nurse and an Enrolled Nurse, are currently assigned to the facility and provide health services to approximately 1,860 people (758 women, 612 men, 293 girls and 197 boys) in the community. 

Emeritina, a 10-year-old beneficiary, shared her joy: "I am glad we have a health facility in our community now. At first, I had to travel long distances with my mom to access healthcare anytime I fell ill. Now, everything is at our doorstep; the health facility is just a few minutes away." This development ensures that Emeritina and other children in the community can enjoy good health and thrive, in line with World Vision Ghana's vision for every child. 

The Community Health Committee (COMM) is a core module of World Vision Ghana's health projects that aims to empower, coordinate and manage activities, leading to strengthened community-based organisations, structures and networks, and improved community health. This process, known as 'community systems strengthening', has enabled thousands of people, including children, to access quality health services in many communities like Dodo Tamale.