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Table 1 Rural and urban considerations for CHPS milestone development

From: Does the design and implementation of proven innovations for delivering basic primary health care services in rural communities fit the urban setting: the case of Ghana’s Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS)

Milestones for the development of CHPS

Rural considerations

Urban considerations

Community-based planning

Situation analysis, initial outreach to chiefs, ‘zoning’ of catchment areas

Block and neighbourhood identification, clarification of geographic responsibility

Community entry

Building understanding with chiefs, elders, and opinion leaders

Focus on identifying social networks (corresponding to ethnicity of settlers)

Developing community health

Outreach to formal authorities and politicians

Organizing CHC action

Developing durbars for health communication

Essential equipment

Motorbikes and bicycles in addition to clinical equipment for Integrated Management for Childhood Immunization (IMCI), Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI), Family Planning/Reproductive Health (FP/RH)

Low cost 3 or 4 wheel vehicles, in addition to clinical equipment for IMCI, EPI, FP/RH. Adolescent and adult health important

Facility development

Community volunteer construction of CHC or renovation of existing facility

Arranging donation of secure space or renovation of donated space; no CHC

Nurse community engagement training and posting

Training in community entry, liaison, and sustaining community participation

Training in health education in the urban context

Volunteer identification, training, and deployment

Community organizational focused; basic medicinal distribution; health promotion including bed nets, condoms, oral rehydration solution

Service focused volunteers with no curative services (more limited role)