By Rebecca Ampah
Ghana is taking bold steps toward health independence while deepening its global partnerships. The Ministry of Health has engaged a delegation from the Alliance for Health Policy and the Institute Research Board to explore a U.S.-led initiative on bilateral cooperation in pathogen sharing and health sovereignty.
The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to achieving health sovereignty through strategic collaborations. He revealed that about 45 percent of deaths in Ghana are attributed to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) a situation the government is tackling through the establishment of a dedicated NCD fund and the rollout of the Free Primary Health Care programme, designed to strengthen community health systems nationwide.
Addressing the growing challenge of health workforce migration, the Minister explained that the government is optimizing recruitment processes to meet national demand while pursuing structured international cooperation to ensure sustainability.
He disclosed that fourteen countries have already signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Ghana, reflecting a balanced pursuit of both health sovereignty and global collaboration.
Hon. Akandoh further announced that Ghana has secured a verbal agreement with an international partner to support policy formulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration in healthcare, coupled with ongoing efforts to retool primary health facilities across the country.
The former WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, commended Ghana’s forward-looking health policies under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, noting that such initiatives place Ghana at the forefront of Africa’s health innovation drive.
She praised Ghana’s progress in health financing through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and urged the country to extend its influence and innovation in health systems strengthening to other African states.
Reaffirming the government’s priorities, Akandoh emphasized that the Ministry remains committed to the well-being of Ghanaians, stressing that Ghana seeks to serve as a model for health sovereignty and equitable healthcare delivery across the continent.
