MeTa Ghana hold a civil society skills building workshop
Posted on 21 August 2009
The five-day training of trainers (TOT) civil society organisation capacity development workshop was organised by MeTA Ghana 24-29 May 2009 at the Continental Hotel, Akosombo. Thirty six participants, representing thirty two organisations drawn from across the country, took part in the workshop.
The workshop was part of civil society capacity strengthening work of the international Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA). MeTA aims to use a multi-stakeholder approach towards increasing transparency around the regulation, selection, procurement, sale, distribution and use of medicines in developing countries, thereby strengthening governance, encouraging responsible business practices and ultimately improving access to medicines, especially for the poor.
The workshop aimed to help participants:
- Feel more prepared and comfortable to engage with national policy processes;
- Acquire specific knowledge on issues related to access to medicines, in particular transparency, accountability and efficiency issues;
- Acquire skills to promote greater transparency and accountability at national, district and community levels;
- Strengthen networking and establish linkages among CSOs working on essential medicines issues, and
- Develop ideas on campaigns and advocacy on medicines issues in Ghana.
The workshop was participatory and made use of the knowledge, skills and experiences of facilitators and participants as a major resource throughout. It included knowledge sharing, skills development, experience sharing and zonal planning sessions each day.
A one day-field visit was undertaken to provide participants with an opportunity for direct learning about the issues of transparency in the Ghana pharmaceutical sector.
At the end of the workshop, potential areas for advocacy initiatives on access to medicines were identified and these will be the bases for CSOs in Ghana to work together on Access to Medicines. Participants drew zonal work plans to engage other CSOs and stakeholders in the various regions.
Welcome address by Mr Charles Allotey
Keynote address by Mrs Irena Ofei
Newspaper report of the workshop from the Daily Graphic
Categories: Ghana, Multi-stakeholder
