Govt investing in health sector to achieve universal health coverage by 2030 — Vice-President
The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, says the government is investing in the health sector to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
This will be done by improving the health infrastructure to ensure that everyone has access to quality health services, thereby reducing disparities in access.
The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, in an address, stated: “Our government remains deeply committed to repositioning and resetting Ghana’s health sector as we advance towards achieving universal health coverage by 2030.”
These were contained in her address delivered on her behalf at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Stakeholders Conference in Accra yesterday, Oct 28,
The address, read on her behalf by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, emphasised that strategic partnerships and bold reforms in the health sector were central to building a resilient and inclusive National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Conference
The conference was held on the theme: “Consolidating Strategic Partnerships for a Resilient and Inclusive Health Insurance Scheme”.
It was to “exchange information and engage in dialogue on the NHIA’s operational successes and challenges, and to discuss practical ways to eliminate the scourge of illegal out-of-pocket payments — commonly and wrongly referred to as co-payments.
It brought together policymakers, health professionals, civil society representatives, and development partners to deliberate on the future of the scheme.
Present were the Director-General of Ghana Health Services (GHS), Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana, Teaching Hospitals, Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and others.
Implementation
The Vice-President said the government would begin implementing Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund (Mahama Cares) and The Free Primary Health Care (FPHC) Programme to reduce disease burdens and improve access to health care.
The initiative, she disclosed, already had an Administrator and a governing board in place.
“These initiatives will complement and expand the reach of the NHIS, particularly for low-income and vulnerable populations,” she said.
“We remain focused on investing in health—not just as a right, but as a driver of national development,” she added.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stated that the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Levy had made available additional GH¢3.4 billion to the fund this year.
She commended the NHIA leadership for instituting the prompt payment regime and for accelerating the digitalisation of claims processing, which she said had strengthened efficiency, reduced fraud, and improved transparency.
Partnership
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, called on the private sector to actively partner government in advancing the President’s health transformation agenda, adding that “government alone cannot undertake all development in the health sector”.
He also assured stakeholders of swift action toward the passage of the National Health Insurance Legislative Instrument, which would further strengthen the legal and operational framework of the NHIS.
Addressing concerns about electronic health records management, Mr Akandoh said the ministry was working diligently to address technical and administrative challenges.
Efforts
The Chief Executive Officer of NHIA, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, said currently, the NHIS covered 95 per cent of all primary disease conditions, and had over 15.65 million active members, representing an increase of more than 670,000 from the previous year.
He said the authority aimed to reach 20 million active members by the end of 2025.
On revenue, Dr Bampoe stated that due to the recent financial reforms, NHIS revenue for 2025 had risen to GH¢9.76 billion, up from GH¢6.52 billion in 2024, while the proportion of revenue allocated to claims had also increased from 56.2 per cent in 2024 to 65 per cent in 2025, with projections to reach 75 per cent by 2026.
He emphasised that it was the responsibility of all to not only make the NHIS fully serve its purpose, stressing that “By the end of this conference, we expect all healthcare providers, both public and private, to publicly endorse a Provider Integrity Pact, reaffirming their commitment to fairness, transparency, and strict adherence to NHIS member entitlements.”
