A recent Afrobarometer survey reveals that a majority of Ghanaians worry about their ability to access or afford medical care, with health emerging as the third-most-pressing issue citizens want the government to address.
Released ahead of World Health Day, the study highlights a 21-percentage-point increase since 2019 in the share of households reporting unmet medical needs, underscoring deepening challenges in the country’s healthcare system.
According to the survey, conducted in August 2024 by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, 53% of respondents said they or a family member went without necessary medicines or treatment in the past year, up from 32% in 2019. Nearly two-thirds (63%) expressed significant concern about affording future medical care if needed, while 19% reported moderate worry. Health ranked behind unemployment (41%) and infrastructure development (38%) on the list of national priorities, cited by 33% of citizens as a key issue requiring government action.
Notably, 62% of Ghanaians support universal access to healthcare even if it necessitates higher taxes, signaling strong public backing for policy reforms. Only 33% opposed the idea, reflecting a societal divide on fiscal approaches to health equity.
The findings align with broader economic anxieties, as unemployment and cost-of-living pressures dominate public discourse. Analysts note that the sharp rise in medical access challenges since 2019 may stem from inflationary pressures, strained public health infrastructure, and lingering impacts of global health crises. Persistent negative earnings reported by some healthcare providers, such as Aluworks PLC and Intravenous Infusions Ltd, further illustrate systemic vulnerabilities.
Afrobarometer’s Round 10 survey interviewed 2,400 Ghanaian adults, yielding a margin of error of 2 percentage points. Previous surveys show healthcare concerns have climbed steadily over the past decade, mirroring trends in other African nations grappling with balancing fiscal constraints and social welfare demands.
The data arrives as policymakers face mounting calls to prioritize health sector investments. With citizen willingness to fund universal coverage, the findings may galvanize debates on equitable resource allocation ahead of Ghana’s 2025 budget deliberations. As one respondent noted anonymously, “When sickness strikes, poverty follows. We need solutions that protect both our health and our wallets.”
