Accra-Ghana, Dec 12, GNA – Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the Minister of Health (MOH), has reassured Ghanaians of government’s commitment to the delivery of quality and client-centred health services devoid of catastrophic financial harm.
He also called on stakeholders and collaborators to walk the Government on this journey to advance the health and well-being of the people using Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as an impetus.
The Minister gave the assurance in a speech read on his behalf by Dr Kwabena Boadu Oku-Afari, the Chief Director, at a commemorative event to mark the 2022 International Universal Health Coverage Day in Accra.
UHC celebrated on December 12, annually, seeks to be a rally point for advocates to raise their voices and share the stories of the millions of people waiting for healthcare, call on leaders to make smarter investments in health.
The day, which also sought to remind the world about the necessity of UHC, is on the theme “Build the World We Want: A Healthy Future for All.”
Mr Agyeman-Manu said Ghana was poised to achieve UHC through the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage Roadmap for 2020-2030.
This roadmap aligns with the Accra Declaration on UHC, which defines UHC for Ghana as “all people in Ghana have timely access to high-quality health services irrespective of ability to pay at the point of use,” he stated.
The Minister noted that, though this might appear ambitious, it remains the top health priority for the people of Ghana.
“To achieve this, the UHC Roadmap 2020-2030 has thus been translated into the next health sector Medium-Term Development Plan 2022-2025 to put Ghana on the trajectory toward UHC and consequently, adopted into the next National Medium-Term Development Plan for Ghana by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC),” he stated.
Mr Agyeman-Manu explained that through the plan’s implementation in the next medium-term, the Ministry of Health and its agencies would take deliberate efforts to expand access to health infrastructure through the Agenda 111 flagship Project.
This would also strengthen the National Health Insurance Scheme to provide financial cover for using health services, scale-up quality improvement strategies across the health system and strengthen multi-sectoral governance for health by working closely with stakeholders and partners, he added.
The Minister assured that an effective collaboration with stakeholders would address in a comprehensive manner all the social determinants of health for an overall better quality of health for all.
Ms Uzoamaka Gilpin, the Health Adviser for the United Kingdom Government Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Ghana, representing the Health Development Partners, commended government for the gains made in the health sector but urged Ghana to invest more in primary healthcare.
She said achieving universal health for all requires political will and advised the Government to stay focused.
Ms Gilpin pledged their continued support to the Government to ensure that every Ghanaian received quality healthcare at the time of need.
