Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and a package of complementary health financing reforms have been singled out by the World Bank as a leading model for the West and Central Africa region, as the institution launched its new regional health strategy in Accra.
The World Bank Group launched its regional health strategy, “Fit to Prosper: Investing in Health for Jobs and Development in Western and Central Africa,” on May 4, 2026 in Accra, bringing together a dozen ministers of health and finance alongside development partners, civil society and regional institutions.
World Bank Group Vice President Mamta Murthi described Ghana’s health financing system as “a model to aspiring reformers in the region,” stating that Ghana’s experience is “proof that the ambitions in this strategy are achievable.”
She pointed specifically to the NHIS, Ghana’s use of technology in health supply chains, and the National Health Compact as examples of how policy innovation can align domestic funding with development partner support to produce measurable results.
Dr. Robert Taliercio, World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, added a concrete metric to the commendation, highlighting that Ghana has nearly halved childhood stunting over the past two decades, placing it among the top performers in the sub-region and demonstrating what sustained investment in primary healthcare can achieve over time.
Ghana’s Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said the NHIS remains the centrepiece of the government’s access agenda and is being reinforced through two complementary programmes: the Free Primary Healthcare initiative, which eliminates financial barriers at the first point of care, and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, known as MahamaCares, which is targeted at covering the high treatment costs of non-communicable diseases.
Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, speaking on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, framed the domestic financing dimension as the most consequential part of Ghana’s health reform agenda. He highlighted a GH₵11 billion allocation to the NHIS in the 2026 budget and said the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Levy is intended to generate more reliable and sustainable revenue for the system, reducing dependence on external donor support over time.
The Fit to Prosper strategy is aligned with the Accra Reset, the Lusaka Agenda, and the World Bank Group’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage, and advances the Africa Initiative for Medical Access and Manufacturing (AIM2030) to support local production of essential health products, strengthen health security, and create jobs across the region.
