A high-level advocacy meeting between the Ghana Health Service and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health has affirmed the urgent need for strengthened domestic financing to sustain critical health interventions in the country.

Held under the theme “Securing the Future of Health: Bridging the Funding Gap for Priority Programmes through Domestic Resource Mobilization,” the engagement brought together Members of Parliament on the committee, GHS management, and programme managers to deliberate on the growing financing gaps following the gradual withdrawal of donor support.

The meeting focused on assessing the state of service delivery and national health security across key programmes, including Immunization, Malaria, HIV and Tuberculosis control, as well as the rising burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). It also examined the implications of declining external funding – particularly from the Global Fund, the Gavi transition, and the end of COVID-19 grants – on commodity security and programme sustainability.

The discussions further highlighted the roadmap for the Free Primary Healthcare initiative, the need to integrate essential diagnostics and services into the National Health Insurance Scheme, and the importance of securing increased government budgetary allocation while safeguarding the Primary Health Care mandate.

Opening the meeting, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and the Member of Parliament for Nabdam, Hon. Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, described the engagement as timely and significant, noting that it forms part of the Committee’s oversight responsibility to ensure improved service delivery and accountability within the health sector. He emphasized the importance of collaboration, assuring the GHS of the Committee’s readiness to support its mandate.

“We have made considerable progress as a country, but we must fast-track our efforts, as other African countries such as Kenya and Rwanda are moving ahead. Let us put our act together and move faster,” he urged.

The Deputy Ranking Member and MP for Obuasi East, Hon. Dr. Patrick Boakye Yiadom, commended the initiative and recommended that such engagements be institutionalized, suggesting at least annual briefings to enable the Committee to better understand programme challenges and provide the necessary advocacy support.

In his remarks, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, reiterated that the purpose of the meeting was to brief the Committee on achievements, existing gaps, and expectations from Parliament. He stressed the critical role of the Committee in supporting policy direction, resource mobilization, and implementation.

Touching on the Free Primary Healthcare initiative, the Director-General acknowledged the importance of its success and appealed for parliamentary support for effective implementation. He emphasized that the initiative, if fully embraced, has the potential to ease the financial burden on households and improve access to healthcare.

Source: GHS