As part of the efforts aimed at providing support for individuals suffering from cancer, kidney failures, and heart-related conditions among others, the Health Ministry has officially inaugurated the MahamaCares Technical Taskforce to mark a significant day in the life of such affected individuals and their families in Ghana.
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The initiative, spearheaded by President John Mahama, aimed to provide financial support to individuals battling chronic and debilitating illnesses, ensuring that no Ghanaian has to choose between their health and financial ruin.
Speaking at the launch, the sector Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said โThese are categories of non-communicable diseases which are chronic in nature, cause serious impairment in the quality of life of affected persons, and have a high spate of mortality. The families of affected persons are not spared the heavy psychological and socio-economic tolls these conditions bring their wayโ.
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According to him, โthis MahamaCares initiative will bring about equity, inclusion, relief and hope for all persons in Ghana suffering from these debilitating and chronic diseases since financial resources will no longer be a barrier to accessing quality healthcareโ.
And, that MahamaCares initiative is therefore aligned with Ghanaโs UHC Agenda and inspired by Ghanaโs National Health Policy and 2018 WHO Astana Declaration. The initiative will further accelerate ongoing efforts by the Ministry to strengthen and advance Ghanaโs Universal Health Coverage (UHC) efforts anchored on a strong and quality Primary Health Care system.
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Ghanaโs UHC is defined as โAll people in Ghana have access to high quality services irrespective of ability to pay at point of useโ. The MahamaCares initiative is therefore inspired by the same commitment of โleaving no one affected by chronic and debilitating disease behindโ irrespective of their medical and socio-economic status.
According to the World Health Organization, these diseases account for 42% of all deaths in Ghana, with cardiovascular diseases and cancers being major contributors. The National Health Insurance Scheme, although instrumental in providing coverage, falls short in addressing the high costs of specialized treatments.
The Technical Taskforce, comprising esteemed experts in healthcare, finance, and law, has been mandated to develop a robust policy and legal framework, design a sustainable funding model, establish clear eligibility and disbursement criteria, and evaluate current healthcare infrastructure.
The taskforce members include:
Rev. Prof. Emeritus Seth Aryeetey, former Provost of the College of Health Sciences, as Chair
Prof. Emeritus Binka, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences
Prof. Margaret Kweku, Public Health Consultant
Dr. Alfred Doku, Consultant Cardiologist
Dr. Radolph Nsor-Ambala, Financial Expert
Dr. Anthony Gingong, representative of the National Health Insurance Trust Fund
Dr. Anthony Seddoh, Health Policy and Financing Expert
Anna Pearl Akiwumi Siriboe, lawyer and Attorney Generalโs representative
Dr. Belinda Afriyie, Public Health Consultant and Secretary for the Taskforce
The event was heavily attended by health practitioners, staff of the ministry, and Members of the parliamentary select committee from the NDC side led by the Chairman.
By Edzorna Francis Mensah
