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Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the Minister of Health, has called for cross-sectoral collaboration among member states to effectively combat health challenges, particularly maternal and child health issues.

Mr Agyeman-Manu said working cross-sectorally allowed for composite planning and execution of maternal and child health initiatives, and as well improves access to health services and efficiencies for holistic development. 

“Cross-sectorally requires breaking down financial and territorial barriers and other self-centred conduct which impede progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

The Minister made the call on Tuesday in Accra at the opening ceremony of the third ECOWAS Best Practices Forum in Health held under the theme: “Promoting Multi-Sectoriality to Achieve Maternal, New-born, Child, Adolescent and Youth Health-Related Sustainable Development Goals”.

The forum brought together experts from Ministries of Health, regional health practitioners, researchers, research institutions among others to deliberate on charting a way forward in ensuring good health for the citizenry.

Mr Agyeman-Manu said improvement in maternal, new-born child, and adolescent health was a global concern because the menace affects the core of the population which form the nation’s work force.

The Minister said government has over the years developed and implemented many health interventions designed to optimise the health of the population for sustained national development.

He said life-course approach to health care was an invaluable investment that had many benefits for not only the health of the individual, but the socio-economic development of the country, sub-region and the world.

“Good health is not only a human welfare issue, but a fundamental objective of socio-economic development and as such no single Ministry, Department or Agency can ensure the health of a nation, it requires the concerted effort of all stakeholders”, he added.

Mr Agyeman-Manu said the advent of the SDGs and other initiatives such as the Health-In-All Policy and intervention has led to an integrated approach to healthcare delivery of every country.

He said it is imperative for countries to find points of convergence in policies, strategies, interventions, information and resource sharing to maximise impact and optimise the use of resources for investment in other areas of national development.