By Linda Naa Deide Aryeetey
Accra, Nov. 14, GNA – Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Finance Minister, Thursday said the Government will, in 2026, increase investment in the health sector to strengthen access to quality healthcare and enhance equity in line with the country’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) roadmap.
Presenting the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament in Accra, he said the Ministry of Health had made significant progress in expanding healthcare delivery and would intensify reforms under the MahamaCares initiative next year.
Dr Forson said the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) had been uncapped to ensure stable financing for critical health programmes, including vaccines, essential medical commodities, HIV services, and the Free Primary Health Care initiative.
A comprehensive climate vulnerability assessment was also conducted to guide national responses to climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria and cholera, while Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) was elevated to a national strategy.
To promote inclusion in healthcare, the finance minister said a National Health Sector Gender Policy had been launched to ensure gender equity in both workforce participation and access to health services.
The Health Ministry had also strengthened partnerships with international organisations such as GAVI, Pfizer, and the UK Trade Envoy to expand health financing, innovation and research, he noted.
Dr Forson added that a National Cleft Centre had been established at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), while work was ongoing to develop forensic laboratories for DNA and toxicology analysis.
Additionally, the National Ambulance Service trained 500 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and 6,000 youth as first-aid responders to boost emergency healthcare.
The Centre for Plant Medicine Research validated the long-term efficacy of four herbal medicines, underscoring Ghana’s growing leadership in traditional medicine research.
Dr Forson highlighted achievements in public health, including the successful containment of Mpox, meningitis, and cholera outbreaks through active surveillance and response systems.
On health infrastructure, he said the reconstruction of the La General Hospital was 33 percent complete, with construction works also progressing at Juaboso, Sandema, and five Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds.
The Kpone Municipal Hospital and the KOFIH Centre were commissioned in 2025, the minister noted.
He mentioned that all outstanding nursing allowances had been paid, while 13,500 nurses had been placed on government payroll.
“In addition, admission fees for trainee nurses had been reduced by half to ease financial burdens on students,” he said.
Dr Foson said Health training colleges had also expanded their programmes with the addition of 930 new residents, 2,104 specialist nurses, and several newly accredited teaching centres to build a stronger health workforce.
Regulatory agencies such as the Pharmacy Council and Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) advanced digital integration and expanded SafeCare accreditation to 34 health facilities.
The Ministry of Health also identified 232 unlicensed mortuaries, issued provisional licences, and trained 800 attendants in safe mortuary practices.
Dr Forson announced the scaling up of the Free Primary Health Care programme in 2026 to boost local pharmaceutical manufacturing, and modernise digital claims and fraud detection systems to improve efficiency and accountability across the health sector.
“These reforms are designed to reset, modernise, and expand Ghana’s health system as part of the government’s broader agenda for growth, jobs, and economic transformation.”
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe