Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme is gaining renewed international recognition, with the World Bank describing it as a leading example of health financing reform across West and Central Africa.
Ms Mamta Murthi, Vice President for People at the World Bank Group, praised the scheme during the launch of the Bank’s regional health strategy in Accra, titled Fit to Prosper: Investing in Health for Jobs and Development in Western and Central Africa.
She highlighted Ghana’s experience as evidence that innovation and sustained investment can drive meaningful progress in healthcare delivery, particularly in expanding access and improving outcomes.
Ms Murthi noted that the National Health Insurance Scheme, alongside the country’s use of technology in health supply systems, demonstrates how policy innovation can strengthen health systems and support development goals.
She also commended President John Dramani Mahama for prioritising primary healthcare and promoting a vision of accessible and inclusive health services for all citizens.
According to her, Ghana’s National Health Compact stands out as a strong example of how governments can align domestic funding with support from development partners for greater impact.
The regional health strategy, she explained, seeks to strengthen collaboration among countries, improve efficiency in the use of limited resources, and build more resilient health systems across West and Central Africa.
Ms Murthi raised concerns about persistent health challenges in the region, noting high rates of maternal and child mortality as well as the continued burden of malaria.
She stressed that investing in health, particularly during the early years of a child’s life, is critical to improving long term economic outcomes.
According to her, better health outcomes contribute directly to improved education, higher productivity, and stronger economic growth over time.
She urged governments to commit to the strategy’s roadmap to unlock the region’s demographic and economic potential, while reaffirming the World Bank’s support through financing, technical expertise, and knowledge sharing.
Also speaking at the event, Dr Robert Taliercio, World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, pointed to Ghana’s progress in reducing childhood stunting as evidence of the impact of sustained health investments.
He said the country has nearly halved childhood stunting over the past two decades, placing it among the top performers in the region and demonstrating the long term benefits of consistent investment in primary healthcare and financing systems.
Ghana’s Minister of Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said the National Health Insurance Scheme remains central to government efforts to expand access to healthcare services.
He explained that the scheme is being strengthened through complementary initiatives aimed at improving the full continuum of care, from prevention and early detection to treatment and financial protection.
These initiatives include the Free Primary Healthcare programme, which seeks to eliminate financial barriers at the first point of care, and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as MahamaCares, which is designed to support the treatment of high cost non communicable diseases.
Chief of Staff Mr Julius Debrah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving health outcomes through structural reforms in health financing.
He revealed that the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Levy is intended to generate more reliable and sustainable funding for the system, reducing dependence on external donor support.
Mr Debrah emphasised that the reforms are part of a broader shift towards building a more resilient and self sustaining health system, focused on long term stability and improved service delivery.
