In Memoriam of Godlove Ntaw

Posted December 15, 2020

By Karl Hofmann, PSI President and CEO

The PSI family is mourning the untimely passing of Godlove Ntaw, PSI’s Country Representative in Cameroon. Godlove had been suffering from cancer but had worked hard to remain engaged in his important work, which he continued right up until his final days.  

Godlove served PSI in Cameroon, and in Senegal before that, but brought to us many years of experience in global development and humanitarian work previously with sister development organizations, such as Catholic Relief Services, in very challenging environments globally.

As a lifelong advocate of sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR) for women and young people, Godlove oversaw the Women’s Health Project which delivers legal, safe abortion, post-abortion care, and contraception to women in Cameroon. He instilled value in his team for innovation and made a significant impact by reducing the harm that stems from unsafe abortion and clearing pathways to contraception.

Godlove’s SRHR advocacy with the government of Cameroon will have long-lasting impact for its citizens. His peers knew him to be a successful negotiator, extremely respected and liked for his dedication to our work and collaborative manner in which he pursued it. Godlove’s unfailing commitment to good governance practices on the board of ACMS, PSI’s implementing arm in Cameroon, form an important part of his lasting legacy.

Gentle and a peacemaker, Godlove’s smile and laugh were contagious. He saw humor even in tough situations and would always bring his positive energy to challenges. He inspired and motivated so many staff members throughout his professional life. “Wonderful, kind, thoughtful and brave,” were words used to describe Godlove by his colleagues.

Godlove leaves behind his dear wife, Mary Ntaw, who he met while getting his MBA at the University of Maine. Mary, and the son and two daughters he adored, reside in Canada. He was with them when he passed.

We offer the Ntaw family our deepest condolences and love during this difficult time.

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Supervisors directly observed how CHWs performed malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and administered artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). They recorded CHW performance using the digitized checklist, interviewed community members, reviewed records, and provided on-the-spot coaching. They also interviewed the CHWs and tried to resolve challenges they expressed, including with resupply of commodities or equipment immediately or soon afterwards.

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Supportive supervision with interviews and observations at sites improved the basic competencies of CHWs between the first and second rounds, and additional rounds will help to understand the longer-term programmatic benefits.

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Here’s what it looks like in practice.

In July 2020, PSI Angola, alongside the Angolan digital innovation company Appy People, launched Kassai, an eLearning platform that targets public sector health workers in Angola. Through funding from USAID and the President’s Malaria Initiatve (PMI), Kassai features 16 courses in malaria, family planning, and maternal and child health – with plans to expand learning topic areas through funding from ExxonMobil Foundation and private sector companies. A partnership with UNITEL, the largest telecommunication provider in Angola, provides all public health providers in Angola free internet access to use Kassai.

Kassai’s analytics system to follow learners’ success rate and to adjust the course content to learners’ performance and needs. Kassai analytics are integrated with DHIS2 – the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of Angolan MOH, to be able to link learners’ knowledge and performance with the health outcomes in the health facilities. The analytics track learners’ performance by course and gives visibility by health provider, health facility, municipality, and province. Each course has pre-and post-evaluation tests to track progress of learning, too.

By the end of 2022, there were 6,600 unique users on the Kassai platform and 31,000 course enrollments. PSI Angola’s partnership with UNITEL, the largest telecommunication provider in Angola, allows for free internet access to learn on the Kassai for all public health providers in Angola. Building on its success for malaria training, Kassai now also provides courses in family planning, COVID-19, and maternal and child health. This reduces training silos and provides cross-cutting benefits beyond a single disease.

Implementing the SLPM digital ecosystem brings numerous benefits to health systems. It allows for more strategic and efficient workforce training and performance management, enabling ministries of health to track changes in health workers’ knowledge, quality of care, service utilization, and health outcomes in real time. The ecosystem also supports better stewardship of mixed health systems by facilitating engagement with the private sector, aligning training programs and standards of care, and integrating private sector data into national HMIS. Furthermore, it enables the integration of community health workers into the broader health system, maximizing their impact and contribution to improving health outcomes and strengthening primary healthcare.

In Memoriam of Godlove Ntaw

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Digitalizing contraceptive counseling to reach rural women and girls in Ethiopia

Building community health worker capacity to deliver malaria care

Taking a market-based approach to scale sanitation in Ethiopia

Promoting self-managed care like Self-testing and Self-Sampling

Using peer coaches to counter HIV stigma in South Africa

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