Manifesto on women’s health right presented to Deputy Health Minister

Members of the Universal Access to Health Care Campaign (UAHCC) and the Primary Health Care Advocacy Coalition on Monday presented to the Ministry of Health their manifesto on what they think the government must do to realise women’s right in Ghana.

The group led by Nii Ankonu Annorbah-Sarpei, Campaign Coordinator, UAHCC and Mr Samuel Boateng Arhin, Executive Secretary of Stop TB Partnership Ghana, submitted the manifesto to Mr Alexander Abban, the Deputy Health Minister in Accra.

This was after the group undertook a peaceful march through some selected principal streets in Accra, bearing placards with inscriptions such as ‘Decouple National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) funds from the consolidated funds’.

Other placards read ’70 per cent of health sector budget spent on compensations not a prudent use of resources, ‘Develop domestic resource mobilization plan to support the health sector, ‘One district one hospital and at least one medical doctor’.

Mr Arhin said the presentation of the manifesto was the coalition’s way of celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD).

He said improving maternal health and reducing maternal mortality by realizing women’s rights was an important global health priority and fundamental human rights.

“Five years since Ghana signed on to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), gender inequality is still present in health service delivery as women and adolescents including those with disabilities and mental health issues lack access to quality health care,” he said.

The manifesto demands that the government prioritize investment in health by mandating the Ministry of Finance to allocate a minimum of 15 per cent of the total national budget to the health sector.

It entreats the Ministries of Health and Finance to develop a Primary Health Care (PHC) policy to strengthen PHC processes and systems under the Universal Healthcare (UHC) roadmap.

The manifesto also calls on the ministries to strengthen mental health facilities by increasing the number of mental health facilities across the country and ensure that psychiatric medication and supplies were procured and equitably distributed across health facilities in the country.

It petitioned the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to ensure timely prosecution of persons engaged in fraudulent activities like false claims and engage the media to name and shame persons and institutions.

It urged the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to create a functional feedback mechanism for citizens to report on the efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation of national health policies and programs and also Intensify preventive care activities at the primary level.

Mr Alexander Abban, a Deputy Health Minister, assured the group that the Ministry will take a look at their concerns and further engage them.

“I want you to know and understand that we will fully digest what you have presented, as the government strives to attain UHC,” he stated.