GMTF seeks alliance with chiefs to fight chronic illnesses

The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), Adjoa Obobbia Darko-Opoku, has made a passionate appeal to the National House of Chiefs to partner the Fund in a nationwide campaign aimed at addressing the growing financial burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on families.

Speaking on behalf of the GMTF Board of Trustees during a high-level briefing in Kumasi, Darko-Opoku highlighted the influential role of traditional authorities in community mobilisation and public education.

“When our Chiefs speak, communities listen. When Chiefs champion an important national initiative, people embrace it with trust and confidence,” she stated, as she called for a structured partnership with the traditional leadership.

To strengthen public awareness and improve access to support under the Fund, she announced plans for extensive sensitisation campaigns across traditional areas. These will include community town hall meetings, local radio engagements, and the use of community platforms to clarify eligibility requirements, address misconceptions, and encourage early health-seeking behaviour.

According to her, the involvement of chiefs will be central to the success of the campaign.

“The involvement of Nananom in these engagements will not only enhance public confidence but will also help the message reach communities in a culturally appropriate and meaningful manner, thereby increasing understanding and participation,” she explained.

Darko-Opoku stressed that the partnership is intended to reduce preventable deaths and shield families from financial hardship associated with chronic illnesses such as renal failure, cancers, and heart diseases.

“Let us work together to ensure that no Ghanaian is left behind because of the financial burden of non-communicable diseases. Let us work together so that every community, whether urban or rural, knows that help is available.”

She further urged the traditional rulers to provide guidance on how best the GMTF can align its operations with traditional governance systems to enhance impact, describing the proposed collaboration as a long-term national effort rather than a one-off engagement.

Reflecting on Ghana’s development journey, she noted that progress has often been strongest when state institutions and traditional leadership work together.

“Today, we invite the National House of Chiefs to join us in writing another chapter of our history.

“Let us work together to strengthen hope for families who today face uncertainty because of disease, and to build a healthier Ghana for this generation and for generations yet unborn,” she concluded.