Gov’t Adds Dialysis Cost To NHIS – Akandoh

The government has announced the inclusion of dialysis support for needy patients under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), marking a significant step toward easing the financial burden on individuals suffering from kidney diseases.

The initiative follows the release of 1.5 million Ghana Cedis out of a total of 2 million Ghana Cedis allocated in 2024 to pilot the programme to support patients who were undergoing dialysis treatment but unable to afford the high cost of care.

Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, disclosed this development in Parliament after MPs approved a 10 billion Ghana Cedi allocation for the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to implement its 2025 Distribution Formula on Friday, May 30.

“What we have done is that we have included dialysis as part of the benefit package of the National Health Insurance Scheme, just like malaria or any other disease. The policy direction is that we are going to fund the dialysis issues in this country.”

The Minister also stated that the 10 billion Ghana Cedi allocation will also fund the government’s Free Primary Health Care policy. This policy is designed to allow all citizens to access basic healthcare services at no cost.

“So, a Ghanaian is sick and he or she goes to the CHPS compound or the health center, the policy is that he must be treated free of charge. As a result of the withdrawal of support from our donor partners, there has been a huge funding gap in the health sector due to the withdrawal of our partners, like the USAID.

“Therefore, that revenue will go to fill the gap. A certain percentage will be taken from the NHIS fund to support the Mahama Cares.”

Congenital Heart Disease

In another development, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) and international NGO Children’s HeartLink, has held a national stakeholder meeting to develop a strategic plan for paediatric and adult congenital heart disease (CHD) services in Ghana.

The meeting highlighted the growing burden of CHD, assessed current healthcare capacity, reviewed policy support, and explored global best practices.

In a keynote address delivered on behalf of the Minister, Acting Chief Director Mr. Frank Raji emphasized the urgent need for a coordinated, long-term approach to address congenital heart defects in children.

He noted that thousands of Ghanaian children are born annually with heart conditions requiring specialized care, yet face limited access due to financial, geographic, and workforce barriers.

He praised the NCTC and international partners, including Boston Children’s Hospital and Children’s HeartLink, for their continued support in building local capacity and improving care.

He outlined the Ministry’s strategy which focuses on three key areas: strengthening the specialized health workforce, expanding infrastructure beyond Accra, and advancing policy for equitable and sustainable care.

Plans include integrating paediatric cardiac care into the national child health strategy, enhancing the NCTC as a Centre of Excellence, and improving health data systems.

Participants engaged in in-depth discussions around service delivery improvements, health workforce needs, and long-term planning for congenital heart care. A central focus of the meeting was on strengthening referral systems and ensuring equitable access to high-quality cardiac care for both children and adults.

The one-day event brought together key stakeholders from government agencies in healthcare, members of Parliament and civil society to address gaps in CHD screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.

The meeting forms part of Ghana’s ongoing implementation of the National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP).

#FP2030 Launch

In the bid to also see women and girls everywhere have the freedom and ability to lead healthy lives, make their own informed decisions about using contraception and having children, and participate as equals in society and its development, the Minister for Health, Hon Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has launched the #FP2030.

“We have worked hard to improve access to contraception and reproductive health services. Today’s launch is reaffirmation of our commitment to the future” Hon Akandoh emphasized.

FP2030 (formerly Family Planning 2020) is a core convening partner on the High Impact Practices for Family Planning.

The vision of FP2030 is a FP2030 is based on four guiding principles: voluntary, person-centered, rights-based approaches, with equity at the core; empowering women and girls and engaging men, boys, and communities; building intentional and equitable partnerships with adolescents, youth, and marginalized populations to meet their needs, including for accurate and disaggregated data collection and use; and country-led global partnerships, with shared learning and mutual accountability for commitments and results.