The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) on Monday, 2 November 2026, hosted Dr Erasmus Morah, Senior Advisor to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director-General, at its Head Office in Accra. The visit was part of a continental learning mission under the Accra Reset framework to learn from Ghana’s experience in health financing and primary healthcare delivery.
The discussions focused on Ghana’s progress in expanding access to healthcare through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the challenges encountered over the years and ongoing efforts to make healthcare more affordable.
Welcoming Dr Morah on behalf of the NHIA Chief Executive, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, the Deputy Chief Executive for Operations, Dr Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, expressed the Authority’s readiness to share lessons from more than two decades of implementing the Scheme.
The Director of Operations, Ms Mariam Musah, traced Ghana’s healthcare journey from the cash-and-carry system, where patients paid directly for treatment, to the introduction of the NHIS in 2003.
She noted that active NHIS coverage has exceeded 70% of the population, with efforts underway to reach 80% by the end of 2026.
Ms Musah also spoke about the proposed Free Primary Health Care policy, which seeks to provide essential healthcare services at CHPS compounds and health centres, regardless of a person’s NHIS membership status.
On financing, the Director of Strategic Health Purchasing, Dr Ruby Aileen Mensah Annan, outlined plans to support the policy through improved provider payment systems and sustainable funding arrangements.
The Director of Membership and Regional Operations, Mr Sebastian Alagpulinsa, highlighted the role of community outreach, mobile registration services, Ghana Card integration and digital platforms such as MyNHIS in increasing NHIS membership.
He also touched on ongoing efforts to reach underserved communities and vulnerable groups.
Dr Morah commended Ghana for its commitment to financing healthcare through domestic resources and said the country’s experience offers useful lessons for other African countries.
“Science must be backed by political will, strong leadership and community engagement to translate promising ideas into solutions that save lives,” he said.
Also present were the Director of Research, Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Suleymana Abass; Director of Anti-Fraud and Illegal Payments, Mr Isaac Akonde; and Deputy Director of Marketing and Branding, Angela Joyce Asiedu, Esq.
Dr Djokoto thanked Dr Morah for the visit and reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to sharing Ghana’s experience and working with partners to advance universal health coverage across Africa.
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