// — The WHO Ghana Country Office stepped away from the pace of its day-to-day work to reflect on progress, examine challenges and look ahead at how the Office can work more effectively together to deliver greater impact for health in Ghana.
From 19–21 August 2026, staff came together for the 2026 WHO Ghana Staff Retreat, creating space for dialogue, learning, team engagement and strategic reflection at a time when Ghana’s health reforms are underway and demand strong partnerships, technical excellence, and effective collaboration. The retreat also takes place in the context of a changing global health architecture and financing landscape.
The retreat opened with reflections on the Country Office’s work and progress in supporting Ghana’s health priorities. Through presentations and discussions, staff considered achievements, experiences and challenges across different areas of work.
The conversations also provided an opportunity to identify lessons that can inform the work ahead, including areas where the Country Office can improve its effectiveness, responsiveness and delivery.
A central theme of the retreat was the importance of collaboration. WHO Ghana brings together colleagues with diverse technical expertise and responsibilities. The retreat created an opportunity for staff to strengthen connections across teams and better understand how different areas of work contribute to shared objectives.
The focus was not simply on working alongside one another, but on building a stronger culture of shared responsibility, mutual support and collective ownership of results.
“The retreat allowed us to step back from our individual programmes and see how our technical work connects to the wider priorities of the Country Office. The discussions reminded us that when we share knowledge and work across teams, we can achieve much more.” Dr Adwoa Twumwaah Twum-Barimah, Health Financing Officer, WHO Ghana
As the retreat progressed, the focus shifted towards the practical steps needed to strengthen delivery. Staff considered how the lessons from the retreat could translate into improvements in everyday work, from strengthening coordination and sharpening priorities to embracing innovation and improving accountability for agreed actions. Team-building activities further reinforced the essence of building trust and working together across programs.
“For me, the retreat was a reminder that every role contributes to the success of WHO Ghana. Whether we are providing technical support or ensuring that the Office runs smoothly, we all have a part to play. The team-building activities helped us connect beyond our usual roles and strengthened our sense of working as one team”, Eric Oppong, Programme Assistant, WHO Ghana
As the retreat concluded, staff reflected on the shared responsibility of carrying its lessons into their work. The three days reinforced a simple but important message: greater health impact requires more than individual expertise. It depends on teamwork, trust, collaboration, accountability and a shared sense of purpose.
For WHO Ghana, the retreat marks an opportunity to move forward with greater clarity about priorities, stronger connections across teams and a renewed commitment to delivering results for the people of Ghana.
