On 22nd December 2017, the GeoHealth West Africa Network organized a one-day outreach event at the Agbogbloshie Scrap Yard in Accra, Ghana. The initiative was designed to strengthen ties with the research community while improving access to healthcare for local residents.
The Agbogbloshie community faces a range of health challenges, with many residents in constant need of medical support. To ease access to healthcare services, the GEOHealth team collaborated with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to bring free registration directly to the community.
NHIA personnel, supported by equipment from the Korle-Bu office, registered and issued health insurance cards on-site. This enabled participants and community members to benefit immediately from the scheme without cost.
The event drew strong participation, including research volunteers, their families, executives of the Scrap Dealers Association, and other Agbogbloshie residents. By the close of the day, 100 research participants and 50 community members had successfully been registered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
This initiative reflects GEOHealth’s ongoing commitment to promoting health equity and supporting vulnerable populations in West Africa.