Ghana’s health funding strategy has received a significant boost following a government decision aimed at guaranteeing sustainable financial support for the healthcare sector.
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health, revealed this during the latest session of the Government Accountability Series, highlighting a policy change that has led to increased revenue for the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
Addressing the press, Hon. Akandoh confirmed that the move to uncap the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) has yielded substantial financial benefits.
As a result of this measure, the NHIA’s revenue for 2025 has surged to an unprecedented GHC 9,760,000,000.00, compared to the previously capped budget of GHC 6,520,000,000.00 in 2024.
“A massive increase of GHS 3,260,000,000. This additional funding is a game changer, enabling the national health insurance scheme to expand coverage, enhance benefits, and strengthen Ghana’s progress toward achieving universal health coverage.
“This is a government fulfilling its promise to prioritize the health of every citizen. Furthermore, with the increased funding to the National Health Insurance Scheme, we have increased the claim payment allocation from 56.2% in 2024 to 65% in 2025, and we plan to raise it to 75% by 2026.”
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
In line with these changes, Hon. Akandoh emphasized that as the health fund continues to grow, the government is committed to ensuring that every Cedi directly supports frontline services aimed at delivering quality healthcare to the population.
He stressed that the government’s approach focuses not only on increasing revenue but also on ensuring the swift release of funds to healthcare providers.
The Minister highlighted that beyond uncapping the levy, the government has prioritized the prompt disbursement of resources.
He confirmed that the national health insurance scheme’s outstanding arrears, which totaled GHS 603,000,000 as of December 2024, have now been fully cleared.
This achievement, according to Hon. Akandoh, serves as proof of the government’s firm commitment to making timely payments and consistently meeting its financial responsibilities to healthcare providers across the country.
“Let me state on record that in the history of the National Health Insurance Authority, no government has paid or released funds from the consolidated fund to the National Health Insurance Scheme as promptly as this government.”
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
Monthly Payments Boost Health Funding
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh further noted that disbursements to healthcare providers are now being made on a monthly basis.
He pointed out that in 2025 alone, the National Health Insurance Authority released over GHS 1,380,000,000.00 to service providers, signaling the development of a stronger, more responsive, and more dependable healthcare financing system.
The Minister described this progress as a significant shift in the system, demonstrating that the country is building a national health insurance scheme designed to serve the needs of all Ghanaians.
He also shared updated enrollment statistics, reporting that 15,650,000 citizens are now registered under the national health insurance scheme—an increase of approximately 670,000 from the previous year.
“What this means is that 670,000 more Ghanaians are now benefiting from health insurance coverage. To address the declining funding of the health sector caused by the exit and budget cuts of development partners, following His Excellency John Dramani Mahama’s directive, we also quickly prioritized funds to continue financing.”
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
Hon. Akandoh explained that the Ghanaian government remains focused on expanding healthcare infrastructure across the country.
According to him, authorities are actively working with private sector partners to drive investments in new health facilities through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
He emphasized that these collaborations are critical to bridging infrastructure gaps, especially in underserved areas. “Currently, we have identified a partner conducting a nationwide assessment that will underpin our route to winning the agenda for health facilities.”
The government, he noted, is relying on private investment not just for building facilities, but also for improving existing structures, enhancing equipment supply, and ensuring better service delivery.
These partnerships are part of a broader national strategy aimed at modernizing healthcare infrastructure, increasing hospital capacities, and making medical services more accessible to all citizens.
In closing, Hon. Akandoh reaffirmed the government’s dedication to channeling every additional Cedi from the boosted health funding directly into expanding healthcare access, improving service delivery, and strengthening Ghana’s progress toward universal health coverage.
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