The Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has inaugurated members of the Ministerial Advisory Board to strengthen the governance of the health sector in terms of service provision, financing, and regulation.
The event, officiated by Her Ladyship Justice Sedinam Awo Kwadam, Justice of the High Court, signifies the Ministry of Health’s strengthened dedication to fostering transparency, enhancing accountability, and advancing evidence-based policymaking. It reflects a strategic effort to improve governance, ensure public trust, and drive impactful reforms in Ghana’s health sector.
Addressing the board members, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister for Health, emphasized the critical role of the Board as a statutory entity established under the Civil Service Act. He highlighted its mandate to facilitate meaningful collaboration between the Ministry of Health and its diverse stakeholders, including public institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations.
The minister noted that such cooperation is essential for shaping inclusive health policies, improving service delivery, and ensuring transparency and accountability in the sector. He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working closely with the board to achieve shared goals and advance Ghana’s health agenda.
The minister further emphasized that collaboration and teamwork must be the underlying principle of the board members, as their task is multi-faceted and would therefore require diverse opinions teaming up for a common purpose.
“Distinguished members, as you begin your work, I urge you to embrace the principles of teamwork, harmony, and shared purpose. The challenges before us, from health workforce shortages and infrastructure gaps to emerging disease burdens, require coordinated and forward-looking solutions.
“The successes of this board will depend not only on the brilliance of its members but also on the ability to work together with mutual respect, objectivity, and unity of purpose.”
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister for Health
He emphasized that the government, under the visionary leadership of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, remains focused on its commitment to expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare for all Ghanaians. Central to this effort are flagship initiatives such as the Free Primary Health Care policy and the MahamaCares Programme, which are designed to eliminate financial barriers, enhance specialist services, and improve health outcomes across the country.
These programs, he emphasized, reflect a strategic push toward achieving Universal Health Coverage, ensuring that every citizen, regardless of income or location, can access essential health services without suffering financial hardship or exclusion.
“Let us therefore commit to working in concert towards the ministry’s strategic priorities, strengthening health systems, expanding access to quality care, advancing digital health innovations, and ensuring that no Ghanaian is left behind in our quest for better health outcomes.”
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister for Health
Member of the board and Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Dr. Peter Kwame Yeboah, expressed optimism on the board’s potential to improve the health system for the country, describing his membership of the board as a “rare opportunity.”
“I think we have an opportunity to change the narrative of the entire health sector and to look collectively at how service provision will be anchored on disease prevention, health promotion, treatment, rehabilitation, palliative, and holistic health service delivery so that we have a health system that meets our collective health needs and promotes the health and well-being of the country that we are in.”
Dr. Peter Kwame Yeboah, Board Member and Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG)
Dr. Yeboah emphasized that the board’s role, basically, is to strengthen the health system of Ghana “in service provision, in financing, and in regulation so that health outcomes improve” in order to “address emerging health conditions, like non-communicable diseases, which account for probably the highest cause of OPB attendance, morbidity, and mortality.”
In his closing remarks, the Minister for Health expressed profound appreciation to all members of the board for accepting a national call to serve on the board, further expressing his confidence in the advisory board’s ability to provide the guidance needed to translate policy into lasting impact and strengthen the foundations of Ghana’s health system for generations to come, through collective wisdom, dedication, and collaboration.
READ ALSO: Fordjour Demands Defence Minister as President Mahama Visits El-Wak Recruitment Victims
