New health reforms target universal health coverage- Health Minister

The Minister for Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has stated that the government is implementing a range of interventions to expand access to quality healthcare and advance Ghana’s goal of achieving universal health coverage.

He said the interventions, being pursued under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, were designed to ensure that Ghanaians could access healthcare regardless of their geographical location or social status.

Mr Akandoh made the statement on Friday during a community engagement in the Upper East Region as President Mahama’s Resetting Ghana Tour reached the region.

He said the government’s health agenda was anchored on three main interventions: free primary healthcare, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as Mahama CARES.

According to him, President Mahama had also prioritised health sovereignty by strengthening domestic financing for the health sector.

He said the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Levy had enabled the government to mobilise additional domestic resources to support reforms in healthcare delivery.

Mr Akandoh said the free primary healthcare programme was being rolled out in 150 of Ghana’s 261 districts this year.

He explained that the programme would focus not only on treating diseases but also on prevention and health promotion.

“Prevention, promotion and treatment will then come together to mean proper healthcare delivery,” he said.

The Minister said more than 24,000 pieces of equipment had been procured to support the implementation of the free primary healthcare programme.

Motorbikes and motor tricycles had also been provided to enable health professionals to travel from community to community and household to household to provide services.

He said the Upper East Region had received its share of the equipment, adding that he had inspected some of the supplies at the Redland Medical Store in the region.

Mr Akandoh indicated that health professionals under the programme would visit households to check residents’ vital signs and identify health conditions at an early stage. The approach was particularly important in stopping non-communicable diseases, which could progress without obvious symptoms.

“We do not want to wait till that point. We want to prevent you from getting to that situation or ensure early detection,” he added.

The Minister said the free primary healthcare programme was available at Community-based Health Planning and Services compounds, health centres and polyclinics.

He said President Mahama had directed every district to construct at least two CHPS compounds each year, adding that more than 400 CHPS compounds had so far been constructed across the country.

Mr Akandoh stated that the NHIS remained essential because the free primary healthcare programme was not intended to replace it.

He said NHIS coverage had increased from 57 per cent at the end of 2024 to 76 per cent, with the government targeting 90 per cent coverage by 2028. He therefore urged Ghanaians to continue subscribing to the scheme.

The Minister was of the view that Mahama CARES would complement the other interventions by supporting the treatment of non-communicable diseases, including cancers, which were not fully covered under the NHIS.

He reiterated that the three interventions would provide support at different levels of the healthcare system, from primary healthcare to secondary and tertiary care.

Priscilla Osei-Wusu Nimako, ISD