The World Health Organization (WHO) has commended the Ghana Medical Trust Fund for its progress during its first year, describing the initiative as a significant step towards reducing financial hardship for Ghanaians living with chronic and high-cost diseases.
Speaking on the first anniversary of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, WHO Country Representative to Ghana, Dr. Fiona Braka, congratulated the government, the leadership of the Fund and the people of Ghana for what she described as significant progress since its establishment.
Dr. Braka particularly acknowledged President John Dramani Mahama for the vision behind the Fund, saying the initiative was making a difference by helping vulnerable patients access treatment without being overwhelmed by the cost of care.
She said the Fund was complementary to other government health initiatives, including the Free Primary Healthcare Initiative and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), with the various interventions designed to provide Ghanaians with access to healthcare at different levels.
“Ultimately, the aim is to ensure that everyone accesses services regardless of where they are and what they are suffering from,” she said.
Hope for patients with chronic diseases
According to Dr. Braka, the establishment of the Fund has brought renewed hope to vulnerable citizens who previously struggled to afford treatment for chronic and high-cost conditions.
She cited cancer, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular diseases and stroke among conditions that could impose significant financial burdens on patients and their families.
Beyond direct patient support, she said, the Fund was also investing in the broader health system through infrastructure development, medical equipment and the training of health professionals.
“This fund is not just looking at patient support, but it’s also looking at medical equipment, it’s looking at the infrastructure, it’s looking at the human resources or workforce capacities, and there’s also the aspect of research,” Dr. Braka said.
She noted that strengthening specialist healthcare required adequately trained doctors, nurses and other health professionals capable of managing complex and chronic conditions.
Linking the healthcare system
The WHO representative also highlighted what she described as an emerging pathway linking Ghana’s healthcare reforms.
Under the model, patients would receive free primary healthcare at the primary level, benefit from the NHIS at the next level, and access specialised care through the Mahama CARES initiative, including the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, where necessary.
Dr. Braka said the definition of this pathway represented an important development because patients should be able to move seamlessly between different levels of care depending on their medical needs.
She cited the cardiac centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as an example of the Fund’s emerging impact, recalling WHO’s participation in its launch.
“It was a moment of pride for everyone to see that we are actually seeing it coming to bear,” she said.
WHO urges sustainable funding
Looking ahead, Dr. Braka urged stakeholders to focus on establishing sustainable financing arrangements for the Fund to ensure that its gains are maintained beyond its first year.
She called for the institutionalization of funding arrangements, including protected budget lines, to provide the initiative with predictable and sustainable financing.
“The sustainable component is extremely important,” she stressed.
She also called for the expansion of the Fund’s coverage to bring more patients into the financing mechanism and extend support beyond the diseases initially prioritized.
Dr. Braka said there was a need to consider additional disease conditions as the Fund expanded, while ensuring that its operations remained integrated with Ghana’s wider healthcare reforms.
Ghana as a model for innovative health financing
The WHO representative expressed hope that Ghana’s experience with the Fund could provide lessons for other countries seeking innovative ways to advance universal health coverage.
She said effective implementation, transparent data and evidence demonstrating the Fund’s impact would be important in showing whether the financing mechanism was reaching an increasing number of people and reducing financial hardship.
“We know that we are all working towards universal health coverage, and Ghana is leading in many ways,” she said.
Dr. Braka expressed optimism that Ghana could demonstrate to the African region and the wider world how innovative financing mechanisms could help close gaps in healthcare financing and advance universal health coverage.
She reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting the initiative, saying the organisation had been involved from its inception and would continue working with the government to help translate its vision into tangible benefits for Ghanaians.
“As WHO, we congratulate the Government of Ghana on this one-year milestone,” Dr. Braka said, adding that the organisation remained a committed partner in efforts to make the Fund sustainable and beneficial to more citizens.
