Healthcare Outreach and Education in Ghana - Accra Region
Inspired to make a difference as a Healthcare Outreach and Education volunteer in Ghana? International Volunteer HQ’s Healthcare Outreach and Education project empowers volunteers to join in a special week-long campaign to contribute to the health and wellbeing of Ghanaian people living in rural areas. Volunteers help test and treat local people for malaria and provide other important community health services and education.
Highlights:
- Programs start on the 15th of every month
- Affordable set fee of £438 for 1 week
- Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
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Visit rural communities with a roving health campaign
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Experience Ghana off the beaten track
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No medical training required, but expertise welcome
Who is this program suited to?
Key information
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
Ghanian people living in rural towns can’t easily access vital healthcare services that are often based in urban areas. This includes testing and treatment for malaria, a mosquito-borne disease which infects hundreds of thousands of people each year. Volunteers can help to ensure rural people get this essential service along with education around sexual health, hygiene and nutrition.
As a Healthcare Outreach and Education volunteer, you’ll spend the week visiting rural communities and deliver healthcare to as many people as possible. All volunteers will receive training and guidance in administering malaria tests.
If you’re trained in a particular medical specialty, such as dentistry, it may be possible for you to do a tailored outreach, so please include this information in your application.
The project begins on the 15th of each month and runs for one week. Your Program Fee for the week covers accommodation, three meals a day, basic first aid supplies, malaria testing kits, malaria medication, transport and supervision.
Why do Healthcare Outreach and Education volunteering in Ghana with IVHQ?
While volunteering on the Healthcare project in Ghana you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Helping rural communities access vital healthcare
- Educating local people on important health issues
- Learning new skills
- Developing your communication skills
- Gaining healthcare experience
- Immersing yourself in the Ghanian way of life
- Exploring Ghana’s small rural towns
Volunteer requirements
Volunteers need to be 18 years or over to participate in this program, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. If you are under the age of 18, IVHQ offers alternative volunteer opportunities for teens. Visit our High School Volunteer Abroad page to learn more. All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance and provide a criminal background check to IVHQ before departure.
Ghana photo gallery
”Our co-ordinators were incredibly flexible and tried to accommodate our needs as much as possible. I loved the nightly meetings they held to debrief and prepare us for the next day, as it also afforded the opportunity to catch up with all the other volunteers. My favourite things were meeting other volunteers and making new friends; being out in the community and experiencing life outside of my own personal bubble; the friendliest local children I've ever met.”
Queenie, Australian, 31
Read reviews from Healthcare Outreach and Education volunteers in Ghana
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Location
When you volunteer in Ghana with IVHQ, you’ll get the opportunity to experience the country’s vibrant, diverse culture and get to know the people who are said to be some of the friendliest locals in Western Africa. While Ghana is a rapidly developing country which has seen an economic upturn in the last decade, there are still many places where people face the challenges poverty brings. This is especially true outside of the major cities in the rural areas where volunteers are most needed.
Rural volunteer placements are typically in low-income areas which often lack the funding, labour and resources they need to develop their communities. By choosing to volunteer in Ghana you can make a real difference by assisting with local initiatives that seek to improve the quality of life for the people who live there.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins on the 1st and 15th of every month, or just on the 15th of every month for those taking part in the Healthcare Outreach & Education project. Volunteers need to arrive in Accra on the day before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Kotoka International Airport (ACC) in Accra. Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and taken to the volunteer accommodation in Accra. Please note that you will stay in Accra city for one night, unless it is the weekend, in which case you will stay in the city until Monday morning. Once you have completed your orientation, you will move to a rural community in the greater Accra region where you will be placed for the remainder of your stay. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are travelling in Ghana prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up at a prearranged location in Accra on the day before your program orientation.
Orientation is hosted by our local team in Accra and begins on the morning of your chosen start date. This covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program Ghana – an introduction to Ghana, culture and customs, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities, and an introduction to project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socialising.
After orientation you will be taken to your placement in a rural Ghanian community.
Volunteer schedule example
First Day
On the first day of volunteering, volunteers will be escorted to their placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff they will be working with. A typical daily schedule would be as follows:
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast at the volunteer house. |
| 8:00 AM | Travel to placement to join local placement staff and begin work on your project. There is usually a tea break and a lunch break. |
| 2:00 - 5:00 PM | Work at the project usually ends and you are free to relax and use the remainder of the day as you wish. |
| 6:30 PM | Dinner at the volunteer accommodation. |
Please note this schedule can vary depending on your project and placement.
Weekends
During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually just relax or take the opportunity to discover the brilliant colours, music, food, fashion, history and nature that combine to make Ghana a true feast for the senses. Head to the capital city of Accra to see markets, museums and live music, or take a trip to Cape Coast and Elmina where you’ll find the Elmina Slave Castle - the first trading post built South of the Sahara - and pretty, palm-lined beaches where you can relax in the sun. You can also spend long weekends visiting other Western African countries like the neighbouring nations of Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.
Looking for more ideas of things to do in Ghana? Check out our Ghana Travel & Tours page!
Accommodation and WiFi
You’ll stay in a volunteer house with other volunteers. There are separate rooms for male and female volunteers with shared common room and toilet facilities. Living is basic but the majority of volunteer houses have electricity, while only few have running water. Power cuts are common in Ghana and most rural houses do not have running water during times of drought. Pillows and sheets are provided, however it is recommended that you bring your own towels and mosquito nets - or buy them in Ghana.
There is WiFi access available at local cafes and restaurants in a nearby village, which is a 15 to 20 minute walk from the volunteer accommodation. You can also purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone to keep connected.
Meals
Volunteers in Ghana are served three meals per day. Breakfast generally consists of tea and coffee, and a hot breakfast. A typical lunch and dinner can include meat and vegetables with rice or noodles. If you have special dietary requirements, please let us know ahead of time so that we can make arrangements for you.
Pricing
The program fee of US$520 for the week covers accommodation, three meals a day, basic first aid supplies, malaria testing kits, malaria medication, transport and supervision.
Check what's required to visit Ghana
Check out the widget below to find out what the Covid-19 restrictions and visa requirements are for Ghana, based on your country of residence.
Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Protecting against COVID-19:
Volunteers tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of travel
Health & safety information provided during orientation
Strict disinfecting standards for programs & accomodation
Greater physical distance between volunteers
Essential country information
| Capital | Accra |
| Population | 30.42 million |
| Languages | English |
| Currency | Ghanian Cedi (GHS) |
| Time zone | UTC+00:00 |
Weather and climate
Weather and climate: Ghana has a tropical climate and the average temperature falls between 21°C to 28°C (70°F to 82°F). In the north, there is a rainy season from April to June and September to November. The rainy season in the south lasts from April to mid-November. The weather is typically humid however, over the dry season, desert winds in the north can create cooler evenings and a drier atmosphere.
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