Universal access to healthcare must be proiritize in Ghana

Voice Of Developing Communities (VODEC), a not-for profit non-governmental organization on behalf of women and children of Ghana call on Government to prioritize policies to provide universal access to basic quality healthcare in Ghana.

Healthcare in Ghana has come a long way but it is still the case that access to effective health intervention is low, particularly for the poorest, resulting in unnecessary high morbidity and mortality.

The National Health Insurance Scheme has been a good step forward, but at the moment it is unsustainable and unjust. Whilst we all pay for it through the Value Added Tax (VAT) Levy only 34% of people are registered. Twice as many rich people are registered as poor people, and the major barrier to registration is the cost of the insurance premium.

The current system isn’t working as envisaged, but universal access to quality healthcare in Ghana is possible. We call upon the Government to use this period to prioritize universal access to quality healthcare free at the point of use.

And any future Government should commit to financing a national health scheme through increased tax revenue to provide predictable, sustainable and fair funding for universal healthcare and remove barriers to healthcare by scraping the annual insurance premium through the efficiency of health to allow more funding for direct healthcare

SIGNED

Abroni Kofi Thomas

Executive Director