Founder and President of SIMI, Dr. Evelyn Botwe at the health screening centre
Sustainable Impact Makers International (SIMI) has released its 2026 Health Equity Summit report, which documented a three-day initiative that mobilised communities, empowered people through education and dialogue, and enabled access to preventive health services in Ghana’s Bono Region.
Held in Sunyani from July 23 to 25, 2026, under the theme “Health Equity in Action: From Periods to Parenthood, For All,” the summit engaged more than 1,000 people on site, delivered over 420 screening encounters across 13 service categories, and completed more than 500 National Health Insurance Scheme registrations. Approximately 800 secondary school students also participated in a film screening and facilitated discussion.
The report places these activities within a wider challenge: willingness to seek care can outpace the availability and accessibility of services.
Research cited in the report indicates that only 10.3% of breast cancers in Ghana are diagnosed at stage I or II, compared with the Global Breast Cancer Initiative benchmark of at least 60%.
A study of male teachers aged 45 to 60 in Sunyani Municipality found that 95% recognised the benefits of prostate screening, yet 90% had never been screened. These findings point to a gap between understanding the value of preventive care and being able to access it.
The report also highlights research showing that adolescent pregnancy in the former BrongAhafo Region, which included today’s Bono Region, remained above the national average across three decades of surveys. Meanwhile, traditional and religious authorities, whose influence can shape health-seeking behaviour, remain underrepresented in formal health governance.
It was against this background that SIMI brought residents, health professionals, policymakers, educators, traditional authorities and faith leaders together around three connected commitments: mobilise, empower and enable.
To mobilise, the summit opened with a 5,000 community advocacy walk, bringing health equity into public spaces and encouraging collective responsibility for community wellbeing. A policy dialogue subsequently brought statutory, clinical, traditional and faith leadership to the same table to discuss community priorities and practical responses.
To empower, SIMI created opportunities for participants to ask questions, share experiences and contribute to solutions. At Sunyani Senior High School, a screening of NAWI and facilitated discussion engaged students on menstrual health, consent, early marriage and school retention. Across the summit, community perspectives helped shape discussions on the barriers people face when seeking care.
To enable, SIMI partnered with the Ghana Health Service, Bono Regional Hospital and other clinical teams to deliver an open-access screening and health promotion event, alongside health insurance registration. Bringing these services closer to residents provided practical opportunities to act on health information.
The report also calls for stronger referral pathways so that screening findings lead to further assessment and appropriate care. Through the Sunyani Pledge: 90-Day Health Equity Challenge, participants were invited to commit to achievable actions within their communities and institutions.
Read Report : https://canva.link/simi-health-equity-summit-2026-full-report
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