By Rebecca Ekpe
On Friday in Parliament, Ghanaians will be expecting President John Dramani Mahama to deliver a comprehensive overview of Ghana’s current state, highlighting achievements and outlining key priorities for the year ahead.
The address will likely cover critical sectors such as the economy, health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure, as well as Ghana’s international relations and commitments.
It is obvious that some specific areas of focus for the President might include updates on the government’s flagship programs, such as the Big Push infrastructure agenda, cocoa sector reforms, and the 24-Hour Economy initiative. Given the current economic climate, many are also anticipating discussions on macroeconomic indicators, including inflation and the Ghana cedi’s performance.
Economy
Already, the Finance Minister, Dr. Ato Forson, seems to have set the ball rolling in Parliament on Wednesday when he unveiled the Ghana Accelerated National Reserve Accumulation Policy (GANRAP) (2026–2028), referred to as Ghana’s first comprehensive national policy designed to ‘’build external reserves and secure long-term macroeconomic stability’’.
Dr. Forson told Parliament that the policy builds on the decisive macroeconomic turnaround achieved in 2025 following the 2022–2023 crisis.
Healthcare
Matters of healthcare have dominated the headlines lately, and health remains a topical concern for most Ghanaians who have been speaking on expectations ahead of Friday’s presentation of the State of the Nation Address.
One major issue is the “no bed syndrome,” where patients are turned away from hospitals due to a lack of available beds. This was tragically highlighted by the death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah, who was rejected by three major hospitals in Accra.
To tackle this, we have heard the government speak of upgrading healthcare facilities nationwide and implementing initiatives like the Free Primary Healthcare Programme, which aims to remove financial barriers to basic medical services. President John Mahama has also launched the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, providing financial support for patients with non-communicable diseases like hypertension, kidney failure, and cancer.
However, some other concerns for Ghanaians include limited access to healthcare, especially in rural areas, where some people struggle to access quality healthcare due to distance, cost, or lack of facilities.
Reports indicate a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, which are often expensive to treat.
Healthcare funding is also a concern, with a huge dependence on donor funding, which is often unpredictable.
Remedies
During a stakeholder engagement in Accra, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, spoke of how the government intends to operationalize Universal Health Coverage through the ‘’Free Primary Healthcare Programme’’.
The Minister spoke of community-based health initiatives, where trained community coordinators will conduct basic medical checks and refer patients for timely treatment.
In the meantime, Mr. Akandoh highlighted how Ghana is leveraging AI and digital tools to improve healthcare infrastructure and delivery.
State of the Nation
Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution mandates the President of Ghana to present to Parliament annually a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s well-being socially, economically, and financially. These platforms enable the President to speak to his achievements and highlight concerns while outlining policy directions in a way that fosters and engenders public discourse and participation on critical national issues.
