Mahama’s SONA Address: Free Primary Healthcare, Workforce Expansion, and Local Vaccine Production

Mahama’s SONA Address on Health Sector Reset: Free Primary Healthcare, Workforce Expansion, and Local Vaccine Production

Government Boosts Domestic Health Financing, NHIS Access, and Specialist Care Infrastructure

President John Dramani Mahama has announced sweeping reforms in Ghana’s health sector, emphasizing human capital development, domestic financing, and expansion of quality healthcare services across the country. Delivering the State of the Nation Address in Parliament, the President said his administration is laying the foundation for a resilient and self-reliant health system that ensures every Ghanaian child and citizen can access healthcare.

Strengthening Domestic Health Financing

President Mahama revealed that Ghana’s health system would face severe pressure by 2025 due to aging equipment, stalled projects, and financing challenges.

Key developments include:

• Government direct funding now accounts for 72% of total health spending, up from 56.8% in 2023.
• Core health allocations increased to GHS 33.3 billion.
• Total health financing, including National Health Insurance resources, stands at GHS 34.7 billion.

Donor contributions to the health sector have declined significantly, falling from 19% of the health budget to about 2.2%, creating a financing gap of more than GHS 2.4 billion annually. The government said it is responding by prioritizing domestic financing to achieve what the president described as “health sovereignty.”

Expansion of National Health Insurance Coverage

Reforms to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) have improved service delivery.

• NHIS enrollment increased from 57% in 2022 to 66% in 2026.
• Claims payment delays have been reduced from more than six months to a more timely payment system.
• Provider tariffs are being reviewed upward by over 100% to reflect realistic treatment costs.

Workforce Expansion and Placement of Health Professionals

The health workforce has seen significant growth.

• Health worker density increased from 16.6 per 10,000 people in 2025 to nearly 42 per 10,000 today.
• Public sector health employment has reached approximately 200,000 workers.

The government also addressed the backlog of trained health workers awaiting employment.

• 13,500 nurses, midwives, doctors, and pharmacists were added to the public payroll in 2025.
• Nursing trainee allowances were restored.
• Application fees for training institutions were reduced.

About 103,000 trained health professionals awaiting placement at the start of 2025 have partly been absorbed, and further recruitment is expected.

Specialized Medical Training Expansion

The government plans to strengthen specialist healthcare capacity by introducing postgraduate nursing programs in:

• Cardiology
• Nephrology
• Endocrinology
• Oncology
• Emergency and critical care nursing

At least 30 nursing training institutions will transition to competency-based degree curricula.

Scholarship opportunities will be expanded to support PhD-level training for nurses and allied health professionals.

Free Primary Healthcare Program

The government will roll out a nationwide free primary healthcare initiative, removing financial barriers at community-level health access points.

The program will prioritize:

• Disease prevention
• Early screening
• Health promotion
• Non-communicable disease management

Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases

Non-communicable diseases now account for over 40% of deaths in Ghana, contributing significantly to household poverty. To address this challenge, the government established the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as Mahama Cares, which is the first nationwide financing mechanism targeting chronic diseases. The initiative will improve access to treatment for long-term illnesses.

Local Pharmaceutical and Vaccine Production

The government has allocated GHS 15 million as seed funding for the National Vaccine Institute.

Major milestones include:

• Authorization for local production of snake venom antiserum.
• Plans to implement advanced market procurement commitments for locally manufactured vaccines.
• Partnership with an Indonesian pharmaceutical firm to begin production of tetanus-diphtheria vaccines.

The government also increased the vaccine budget by 46%, exceeding GHS 171 million, ensuring uninterrupted immunization for children and pregnant women. The HPV vaccine has also been introduced to protect young women and girls from cervical cancer.

HIV/AIDS Control and Public Health Surveillance

The Ghana AIDS Commission has been directed to strengthen testing and antiretroviral treatment availability.

• National HIV prevalence is estimated at 1.6%.
• Approximately 350,000 people are currently living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana.

Focus will be placed on high-risk population groups and regional hotspots.

Infrastructure Development and Hospital Projects

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to completing abandoned health projects.

Priority facilities include:

• Ridge Hospital Phase II expansion
• Police Hospital project
• La General Hospital completion
• Segua Regional Hospital in the Ashanti Region
• Afari Military Hospital
• Konfananoci Teaching Hospital maternity and children’s block

The Ministry of Health will also issue guidelines to eliminate the no-bed syndrome, ensuring that no patient is turned away during emergencies.

Regional Hospital Construction

Budget provisions have been made to begin construction of new regional hospitals in:

• Oti Region
• Savannah Region
• Western North Region

These projects aim to expand equitable healthcare access nationwide.

Cardiac and Specialized Treatment Expansion

Advanced cardiac services will be expanded to:

• Tamale Teaching Hospital
• Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
• Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

The strategy is intended to reduce overseas medical referrals and position Ghana as a sub-regional medical tourism hub.

Rural Electrification and Health Support Linkage

Health sector expansion is being supported by broader infrastructure development.

The government is pursuing 99.98% universal electricity access by 2030 to ensure a reliable power supply for hospitals and health facilities.

Ending the “No-Bed Syndrome”

Health facilities will be required to provide emergency assistance to patients regardless of bed availability.

The policy directive states that no patient should be denied initial care.

Toward a Self-Reliant Health System

President Mahama says the government remains committed to building a stronger, more resilient, and sustainable healthcare system. The overall objective is to ensure universal access to quality healthcare, expand human capital, and position Ghana as a regional leader in medical innovation