Accra, July, 30, GNA- The Health Keeper Franchise programme of Freedom From Hunger (FFH), an international non-governmental organisation, has trained 253 people who are distributing critically needed health products to a number of communities.

The franchise, which was officially launched at Bawjiase in the Central Region in August last year, has been in operation for two years, growing from a pilot phase with 11 health keepers.

The programme , being rolled out in phases comprise Greater Accra, Central, Volta and Eastern regions for phase one, Western, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions for phase two and Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions for phase three.

Mr Daniel Ekow Mensah, Social Franchise Manager of the FFH, who made this known in Accra on Thursday, said the Health Keeper micro franchise programme was in line with Freedom from Hunger's vision of bringing innovative and sustainable self- help solutions to the fight against chronic hunger and poverty.

He was addressing the maiden Micro franchise Convention of the FFH that attracted a number of health keepers and stakeholders from the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs and Cross Bridge Consult. The health keeper micro franchise programme combines health protection with financially self-sustaining business model, to extend health products and information to people in rural areas by employing a proven franchise system supported by sustainable distribution system. "The health keeper network products include a mix of high impact, reasonably priced health promoting products, such as insecticide-treated mosquitoes nets to prevent malaria, oral hydration salts to protect infants and children from diarrhoea- related death, home water treatment tablets to ensure safe water supply and contraceptives," Mr Mensah said. He said an estimated 243,780 people were currently benefiting from the programme.

"Our goal is to reach 50 per cent of poor, rural communities in Ghana with health products, information and linking services with about 2,500 women by 2012," he said.

Mr Mensah said the health keeper franchise had grown from a nascent idea to encompass a dynamic and active cadre of health keepers operating in many districts in Ghana.

"They are earning income to support themselves and their families, promoting good health behaviours in the poor communities in which they live and serve and are helping to make health protection products, information and services available in communities previously unattended to." Mr Mensah said most rural communities were severely affected by a multitude of health issues. He said the 2009 edition of the WHO, world health statistics estimated that 109 out of 100,000 people die of malaria in Ghana. "This is slightly above the African average of 104," he said. 30 July 09