The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) of Ghana has set ambitious goals to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) before 2030.
This is being driven by a series of innovative measures and reforms. These include the introduction of preventive healthcare measures, the expansion of the NHIS to cover more services, and the implementation of digital platforms to improve service delivery and reduce costs.
These measures are all aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability across the country.
Dr. Da-Costa Aboagye, Chief Executive of NHIA, outlined these transformative efforts during a media briefing in Koforidua. Central to the NHIA’s strategy is introducing preventive healthcare measures, which will soon be integrated into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Under this initiative, every Ghanaian enrolled in the scheme will have the opportunity to undergo annual medical check-ups on their birthdays, aimed at early detection and management of noncommunicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
“Over our 20-year history, NHIS has primarily focused on curative care, where patients seek medical attention after falling ill. With the rise of chronic diseases contributing significantly to our claims, we are shifting towards a preventive approach,” Dr. Aboagye explained. “Annual health checks will not only reduce the burden of curative services but also enhance life expectancy and alleviate financial strain on patients nationwide.”
Dr. Aboagye also addressed concerns regarding co-payments at healthcare facilities, emphasizing the need for systematic improvements. “Co-payments remain a major issue, and we are tackling this through our government e-pharmacy platform,” he stated.
This platform, a digital system that connects healthcare providers, pharmacies, and patients, aims to streamline the availability of medicines and reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
It does this by requiring pharmacies to upload prescriptions, which are then reviewed by healthcare professionals to ensure the right medicines are dispensed, and then the medicines are delivered efficiently to local pharmacies or directly to patients, reducing the need for patients to make additional payments.”
“To further mitigate challenges, we are reviewing tariffs and instituting automatic price adjustments based on economic conditions,” Dr. Aboagye added. “This approach will be overseen by a national tariff review committee to ensure fairness and transparency in healthcare service delivery.”
The NHIA’s ongoing reforms underscore its commitment to enhancing healthcare access, quality, and affordability for all Ghanaians, marking significant strides towards achieving universal health coverage by the end of the decade. With these transformative measures in place, we are optimistic about our ability to achieve this ambitious goal by 2030.
