Journal of Biomedical Advancement Scientific Research

Abstract

In low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Ghana, multisectoral collaboration (MSC) is essen tial for achieving complex development and health objectives. While national policies like Health in All Policies (HiAP) advocate for integrated approaches, municipal implementation is often stifled by structur al barriers and governance issues. However, multisectoral collaboration for health improvement in most LMICs, including Ghana, is a challenge due to the multiplicity of factors, key among which is the lack of understanding and awareness among stakeholders, with some having poor, disjointed, and weak capacity, coupled with poor evidence for multisectoral collaboration at local government levels. Therefore, this study seeks to explore the understanding of multisectoral collaboration for health improvement among key stake holders in the Ashaiman Municipality of Ghana.

Methods: This study employed an exploratory descriptive case study design to examine multisectoral collaboration within the Ashiaman municipality. Data were collected through 20 semi-structured key informant interviews with heads of decentralized departments, a systematic desk review of municipal documents created between 2018 and 2023. The findings were validated during a stakeholder workshop. Data were analyzed themat ically using NVivo Version 14, with emerging themes guided by theoretical frameworks on multisectoral collaboration and the Health in All Policies (HiAP) concept.

Results: The findings revealed a significant "conceptual-operational gap." Participants demonstrated limited aware ness of core MSC frameworks, with many entirely unfamiliar with HiAP, Healthy Cities, and One Health concepts. As a result, collaborative practice was minimal; the desk review found negligible evidence of inter-departmental projects or joint reporting over the five-year period. Stakeholders perceived health as a narrow clinical responsibility rather than a shared municipal mandate, leading to siloed interventions and resource duplication.

Conclusion: The lack of shared conceptual clarity among municipal-level actors serves as a critical bottleneck to ef fective intersectoral action. Successfully operationalizing multisectoral approaches like HiAP framework at the local level, requires more than policy directives; it demands targeted capacity building, the institu tionalization of joint planning mechanisms, and clearly defined sectoral roles. These reforms are vital for transforming multisectoral collaboration from a theoretical ideal into a functional driver of urban health.