Empowering health for all with MahamaCares

In recent years, the country has been facing a silent epidemic in the rise of chronic diseases threatening the health and well-being of its population. 

Once considered diseases of affluence, chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are now increasingly prevalent, posing a significant challenge to the country's healthcare system and economy.

Presently, the country's healthcare system is plagued with overwhelming challenges that hinder access to quality care for its citizens — from inadequate infrastructure and funding to a shortage of healthcare professionals — demanding an immediate attention and action from policymakers and stakeholders.

That aside, citizens can also not afford the high cost of service delivery although the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is available to cater for their health needs.

People who suffer chronic diseases related to the heart, kidneys, liver, cancer, among others, are unable to pay as the NHIS does not fully cover for such treatments.

While the NHIS has been instrumental in providing coverage for a broad spectrum of health needs, it does not comprehensively address the high costs of specialised treatments.

Consequently, many individuals are left to struggle, and in far too many cases, they suffer preventable loss of life.

Health experts over the years have called for the need to prioritise the development of a sustainable healthcare financing system that does not rely solely on external donor funding.

This includes exploring innovative financing mechanisms such as health insurance schemes and social health protection programmes to ensure that all Ghanaians have access to affordable and quality healthcare services. 

By investing in healthcare financing mechanisms, the country can build a resilient healthcare system that is capable of providing universal health coverage for its citizens.

On Thursday, March 13, 2025, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, launched a taskforce with a mandate to fashion modalities for the implementation of the Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund, dubbed MahamaCares.

The trust fund is aimed at supporting citizens with chronic diseases who cannot afford treatment.

WHO statistics indicate that non-communicable diseases account for 42 per cent of all deaths in the country, with cardiovascular diseases comprising 19 per cent and cancers five per cent of all mortality cases.

According to Mr Akandoh, MahamaCares is a bold response to this challenge. Its purpose is to ensure that no Ghanaian should have to choose between their health and financial ruin.

The initiative is to bridge the current gaps in healthcare financing, ensure fairness in access to treatment and enhance the well-being of all Ghanaians, as the fund is aimed at providing a dedicated financial support for individuals battling chronic and debilitating illnesses and expand access to quality care for these chronic diseases.

The aim of the technical taskforce is to develop a robust policy and legal framework to establish MahamaCares as a statutory entity.

The taskforce is also mandated to design a sustainable funding model  for generations, establish a clear and transparent eligibility and disbursement criteria to guarantee fairness and efficiency.

The taskforce is also to evaluate current healthcare infrastructure and suggest improvements to ensure accessibility.

The Daily Graphic welcomes the setting up of the Reverend Professor Emeritus Seth Aryeetey-led taskforce, and hope that the work of the taskforce will help bring about equity, inclusion, relief and hope for all persons in the country suffering from chronic diseases, since financial resources will no longer be a barrier to accessing quality health care.

Our expectation is that the taskforce will come up with modalities that will help the country’s healthcare system to handle the growing burden of chronic diseases, limited resources, infrastructure and trained healthcare professionals, to help provide optimal care for patients.

We also believe that many Ghanaians are unaware of the risk factors, symptoms, and complications associated with conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, leading to delayed diagnosis and poor management of these conditions.

We therefore call for the incorporation of sustained awareness creation in the MahamaCares initiative because without adequate knowledge and understanding of chronic diseases, individuals are less likely to take proactive steps to prevent and manage these conditions.

The paper further believes that the time has come for the country to prioritise preventative healthcare measures to address the root causes of chronic diseases.

By creating a supportive environment that encourages healthy behaviours and lifestyle choices, the country can prevent the onset of chronic diseases and reduce the burden of disease on the population.