Accra, Ghana — Ghana’s Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced that beginning next year, 2026, the government will introduce a Free Primary Health Care program aimed at expanding access to essential health services nationwide.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday Dec 1, the Minister revealed that ₵1.5 billion has been allocated for the initiative, which will be implemented under the existing National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) framework. He described the move as a “game changer” that will significantly strengthen the country’s healthcare system. “His Excellency the President has directed that beginning next year, we have to roll out what we call free primary health care,” he said. “We will be looking at enhanced promotive and preventive health care that will allow early detection of diseases before they reach the complication stage. Some ₵1.5 billion has been allocated for the free primary health care, and it will still fall under the National Health Insurance Scheme. We are not reinventing the wheel; we are here to solve problems.”
Hon Akandoh also announced that NHIS coverage has expanded from 18 million to 20 million people in a just a year, representing approximately 60% of the national population. He attributed the progress to targeted government policies aimed at improving healthcare access and affordability. “The coverage was around 18 million people at the time we took office, and I can confidently report that in less than one year, we are around 20 million people, which represents about 60 percent coverage,” he stated.
In addition to the new coverage milestone, the Minister disclosed that government will increase NHIS tariffs by an average of 120% starting next year to address longstanding complaints from healthcare providers regarding reimbursement rates.
“We are going to increase the tariffs in the National Health Insurance Scheme because service providers have complained that the current rates are unrealistic. Government has taken the decision to increase tariffs by about 120 percent on average, and I believe this will be a game changer,” he explained.
The minister emphasized that about 80% of the nation’s health needs fall under primary health care, making the upcoming initiative critical to reducing hospital congestion, improving disease prevention, and promoting wellness across communities.
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