ABSTRACT
The Danfa/Ghana comprehensive rural health and family planning project was conceptualised in 1964 and was one of the first opportunities for primary care research and development. It was a collaboration involving the Ghana Medical School; the Ministry of Health; the University of California, Los Angeles; and the United States Agency for International Development. A randomised trial of task-shifting and blood pressure control at the community level in Ghana is being conducted. This chapter seeks to employ cost-effective strategy, task-shifting, to mitigate the rising cardiovascular disease epidemic in sub-Saharan African countries like Ghana. In terms of infrastructure, the Ministry of Health and the various universities have research centres strategically located in the northern, middle and southern belts of the country. Academic programmes in public health, family medicine and other primary care specialties that incorporate research are at different stages. Funding from local sources is virtually non-existent.
