Women, youth, PWDs, the marginalized and vulnerable groups are capable of taking informed decisions on their health concerns. They are assisted by community- based organizations (CBOs) that are equipped to ensure grassroots access to health information and affordable services

Rationale

• Meeting the basic health needs of people is a fundamental prerequisite for building a sustainable quality of life 

• Lessons from previous health projects consistently identified key indicators that certain health needs are still not being met for many of our constituents

• Women in societies where majority of them are poor, become vulnerable to sexual and reproductive health challenges. Their general inability to have access to accurate information and medical services is worsened by myths and misconceptions relating to sexual and reproductive health. 

• The youth is similarly faced with dilemmas relating to their sexual and reproductive rights, especially as an increasing number of them have been made idle by low employment opportunities. Teenage pregnancy, abortion, STI and HIV/AIDS infection are still on the increase and among the many risks that threaten their health and future.

• Mental health and epilepsy is still considered as a public health imperative by WHO. Three quarters of people living with epilepsy in low-income countries do not get the treatment they need, increasing their risk of dying prematurely and condemning many to a life of stigma and discrimination.  CEDEP hope to take advantage of the opportunities presented in this critical area of health and work to improve the situation in Ghana. CEDEP since 2012 has worked on mental health and development across the previously Thirty (30) districts in the Ashanti region. 

Key strategies
• Increase access to maternal and child health services and provide information to reduce maternal mortality and prevent death of new-borns and children under five years 

• Supporting government of Ghana to establish a mental health system that efficiently and effectively meet the mental health needs of the population.  

• Promote multiple prevention which includes promotion of treated bed nets usage; infections in pregnancy and environmental management.

• Strengthen and scale-up community health interventions aimed at improving the quality of primary health care services (malaria, immunization etc.)