Ghana will later this year roll out new health care initiatives to ensure free Primary Health Care (PHC) and free treatment for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), President John Dramani Mahama announced on Thursday.
Mahama said in his maiden Message of the State of the Nation since assuming power in January, that the government was working on the framework to roll out the Free PHC program, a significant step towards achieving the universal health coverage target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The president said the free PHC program aims to eliminate financial barriers to basic healthcare access to boost prevention, early detection, and treatment.
Mahama said the government would also launch the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCare) in the coming weeks to support some classes of diseases.
“This fund will be dedicated to financing the treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which have seen a significant rise over the past decade,” he stated.
The president added that the government would provide the seed money to operationalize the fund in 2025 and mobilize further support from private sector partners to ensure its sustainability.
Once operational, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund will directly address the financial burden of patients requiring dialysis treatment, cancer care, and other critical NCD-related interventions, said Mahama.
“Together, the Free PHC and the Medical Trust Fund will help revolutionize Ghana’s healthcare system by improving healthcare accessibility and outcomes and enhancing productivity and well-being across the country,” he added.
The main NCDs in Ghana are cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and sickle cell disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO also classified NCDs as a major health problem in Ghana, fueled by lifestyle changes, urbanization, and limited healthcare access, accounting for about 45 percent of deaths in 2019.