Accra: Ms Delali Kumapley, the Research Uptake Country Champion for the Community-led Responsive and Effective Urban Health Systems (CHORUS) project in Ghana, has highlighted the necessity of adopting the Community Health Planning Service (CHPS) concept to address the pressing health needs of urban populations. She emphasized that rapid urbanization often results in slums or low-income settlements where residents face a lack of essential services such as clean water, electricity, and sanitation, making them vulnerable to various health issues. According to Ghana News Agency, Ms Kumapley shared these insights during an interview in honor of World Cities Day, a United Nations-Habitat initiative celebrated on October 31. The theme for this year is 'Youth Climate Changemakers: Catalysing Local Action for Urban Sustainability.' She pointed out that urban poor communities in Ghana experience a dual burden of non-communicable and communicable diseases, along with other health challenges associated with overcrowding , compared to those in rural areas. Ms Kumapley noted that many residents in urban slums rely on private and unregulated healthcare providers. Given their low socio-economic status, poor education, and lack of basic infrastructure, it is crucial to provide primary healthcare at household and community levels. She explained that CHPS is Ghana's flagship initiative for Universal Health Coverage, deploying trained Community Health Officers to communities to deliver health services. The CHPS programme has successfully met the health needs of rural communities, but adapting it to urban settings poses challenges due to heterogeneous community structures, high population density, and low awareness and confidence in the programme. Ms Kumapley stressed the importance of research for sustainable healthcare service provision and addressing urban poor health needs. Since 2020, the CHORUS project, hosted by the School of Public Health at the University of Ghana, has been researching ways to connect communities, local go vernments, and health workers to support health services in urban areas. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, the multi-country project aims to tackle the challenges of CHPS in urban settings, focusing on Ashaiman and Madina municipalities. The project's goal is to co-produce, implement, and evaluate interventions for sustainable health promotion and prevention services at household and community levels for urban poor populations in Ghana. Over the past four years, the CHORUS project has completed its needs assessment and developed interventions with stakeholders to increase awareness of CHPS services and expand home visit coverage to include businesses, marketplaces, and worship centers. It also empowers Community Health Officers to deliver health promotion and prevention services tailored to urban issues. Ms Kumapley highlighted that the CHPS policy is Ghana's national strategy for primary healthcare implementation, with Municipal Health Directors of Ashaiman and Madina integra l to the research team. To ensure contextually appropriate interventions, Community Advisory Groups, comprising a diverse range of stakeholders, were formed. The research team collaborates with a Technical Working Group involving key personnel from the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health. As World Cities Day emphasizes the youth's role in creating a better urban future, the CHORUS Ghana Project has actively involved young people in its research and intervention design, equipping them to advocate for a better urban future. Continuous engagement between researchers, communities, especially the youth, and the technical working group has helped debunk myths about the CHPS programme, improving knowledge and attitudes in urban poor communities. This progress is expected to enhance the health and well-being of residents, reducing the burden of diseases and the effects of overcrowding.