(VIDEO) Mahama Launches Free Primary Health Care Policy To Prioritise Prevention
New policy aims to strengthen preventive care, expand early diagnosis, and reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Ghana.
- Government introduces Free Primary Health Care policy to shift focus from treatment to prevention.
- Initiative targets early detection through routine screenings and improved primary care services.
- Initiative targets early detection through routine screenings and improved primary care services. Rising cases of lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension and cancer drive urgency for reform.
President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled Ghana’s new Free Primary Health Care policy, aimed at transforming the country’s healthcare system from a predominantly curative model to a preventive one.
The initiative is designed to promote early detection of diseases and reduce the long-term burden of illness across the population.
Speaking at the launch event held at the Shai Osudoku District Hospital, President Mahama acknowledged the progress made under the National Health Insurance Scheme in expanding access to affordable healthcare. However, he noted that gaps still exist, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
He explained that Ghana’s current healthcare system often focuses on treating patients only after they become ill, making it largely reactive rather than preventive.
According to the President, the Free Primary Health Care policy seeks to bridge this gap by strengthening preventive services, including routine health screenings and early diagnosis.
He further highlighted the rising impact of non-communicable diseases, attributing the trend to unhealthy diets and increasingly sedentary lifestyles.
Conditions such as hypertension, stroke, cancers, and kidney failure, he said, are becoming more prevalent as Ghana’s disease profile shifts toward lifestyle-related illnesses, which now account for a significant proportion of deaths nationwide.
From Prince Joe Boadi
