By Albert Allotey
Accra, April 28, GNA – Mr Labram Musah, the National Coordinator of the Ghana NCD Alliance (GhNCDA) has called on the media and civil society organisations (CSOs) to remain steadfast in their commitment towards achieving Universal Health Care (UHC).
“Together let us forge and fight towards a future where health is truly a universal right acceptable by all of us,” he said.
Mr Musah made the call at the close of a day’s capacity-building seminar for media professionals and CSO members in Accra on the theme: “Accelerating UHC through the 2nd Global Financing Dialogue on NCDs and Mental Health.”
The seminar was organised by the GhNCDA and supported by NCDA Advocacy Institute Accelerator Track Programme through NCDA partnership with the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
It was aimed at educating the media and the CSO members on their roles towards the forthcoming second Global Financing Dialogue in June 2024 in Washington, USA.
The participants were taken through how the media should be positioned in the lead up to the upcoming dialogue to catch the attention of relevant policy makers and how to demand appropriate policy responses that will guide Ghana’s participation at the meeting.
Mr Musah said investment in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and mental health were imperative to achieving the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target.
“Regrettably, progress in addressing illnesses and mental health conditions has decelerated since the onset of the SDGs era in 2015, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he stated.
He said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development had acknowledged the significance of addressing NCDs and mental health, aiming to reduce premature mortality from the diseases by one-third and promote mental health and well-being by 2030.
“This inclusion marks a pivotal step towards rallying efforts for a comprehensive approach to tackle these pressing developmental challenges of the 21st century,” the coordinator said, adding that the NCDs constituting 74 per cent of all deaths globally and 46 per cent of total death in Ghana highlights the urgency of action.
Mr Musah noted that each country harbours the potential to realise the global SDG 3.4 target (reduce by one-third premature mortality from NCD through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being) and advance towards UHC for individuals with the diseases and mental health conditions.
“This can be achieved through the scaled-up delivery of context-specific, cost-effective priority interventions, coupled with domestic capacity-building efforts across government sectors,” he stated.
He said the upcoming second Global Financing Dialogue aimed at delineating actionable national strategies and formulating policy recommendations conducive to integrating NCDs and mental health within the national health financing system.
“The first Global Financing Dialogue stressed the fact that current rates of investments were not sufficient to meet SDG 3.4 by 2030,” Mr Labram stated.
Participants at the seminar expressed their commitment to carry out concerted awareness creation among stakeholders for them to see the need for NCDs and mental health financing to help achieve the Universal Health Care target.
GNA