The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Health Corporate Champions Program held its closeout ceremony today in Accra. The ceremony celebrated the completion of a month of service in Ghana by 13 Global Health Corporate Champions from around the world. U.S. Ambassador Robert P. Jackson joined members of Ghanaian health organizations, the Ghanaian government, and the private sector at the closeout ceremony, at which the Champions discussed their service.

Through this program, individual corporate champions are sponsored by their private-sector employers to participate in a one-month pro bono consulting opportunity. These Champions are accomplished professionals from American companies Dow Chemical, PIMCO, and WE Communications, and German company SAP. Over the past month, the 13 Champions leveraged their business and operational expertise to build the capacities of four Ghanaian public health organizations: the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in the Water and Sanitation Sector, Hope for Future Generations, the Ghana Registered Midwives Association, and the Nneka Youth Foundation.

“The Global Health Corporate Champions program exemplifies the U.S. government’s approach to development,” said Ambassador Jackson at the closing ceremony. “Partnerships are central to everything we do, in Ghana and around the world. Our partnerships have enabled us to make the best use of our resources, make the most out of every dollar spent, and ensure development gains are sustainable. Most importantly, our partnerships have enabled the people of Ghana to benefit from the combined resources, know-how, and reach of this broad coalition,” he said.

USAID engages in a number of partnerships with national and local government bodies, civil society, and American and Ghanaian businesses to promote development in Ghana. For example, it partners with the Coca-Cola Company to improve water and sanitation access in Ghana, with Hershey’s to improve child nutrition, and with John Deere to increase access of Ghanaian farmers to improved technologies.