The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has recorded a 74 per cent reduction in malaria deaths, from 277 to 73 between 2021 and 2024.

Also, the service said there were improvements in immunisation coverage, maternal and newborn care, HIV and TB programmes.

“Stillbirth rate has declined, demonstrating evidence of better maternal and newborn care. Our malaria elimination, HIV and TB programmes achieved significant results, and 74 per cent reduction in malaria deaths from 277 to 73 between 2021 and 2024,” the acting Director-General of the GHS, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, said during the opening ceremony of this year’s Senior Managers Meeting (SMM) in Accra yesterday.

The event, held on the theme: “Resetting Healthcare Delivery for Effective Governance Equitable and Sustainable Financing to achieve Universal Health Coverage, brought together senior managers of the GHS, former Director-Generals of the Service, stakeholders in the health industry, development partners, traditional leaders and staff of the GHS.

Dr Akoriyea said the GHS was committed to implementing its four priority areas, which included reaffirming the Service's organisational identity, enhancing staff welfare and motivation, strengthening engagement with retirees and development partners, and balancing clinical and public health services.

He said the Service would, among others, review management positions and establish a strong legal department at GHS regional levels to handle the increasing number of legal suits against the Service.

He added that the Service would focus on a better redistribution of medical personnel and have partnership with universities to train specialists in the regions.

Performance

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said currently the National Health Insurance coverage was around 56 per cent, and that facilities were receiving prompt payment for claims.

“We are determined to roll out free primary health care. It is the determination of His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, that at the end of his term, about 95 per cent of Ghanaians must have access to primary health care irrespective of their location in this country,” he added.

He said the government had established the Ghana Medical Trust Fund which had been passed into law, and a board constituted.

“In the next two or three days, we will inaugurate the Board and so Mahama Care is going to be a game changer,” he said.

Mr Akandoh  added that the government would support specialist training in some parts of the country, saying, “By next January, Hohoe, Wa and Bolga Regional hospitals would begin to train specialists”.

He called for Public Private Partnership (PPP), as the ministry rolled out the deployment of dialysis machines in all regional hospitals, to which he said they had received about 26 bids in that regard.

Health financing

The Chairperson of the Governing Council of the GHS, Emeritus Prof. Fred Newton Binka, said it was critical to identify gaps and reset approaches to ensure effective governance and sustainable health financing.

The Development Partner Lead, Dr Joan Emmanuel Dewez, expressed the commitment to provide technical assistance to ensure improved access to health services for all Ghanaians.

He commended the country for its leadership in advancing various initiatives in the health sector but urged them to increase domestic investment to support ongoing efforts.