Health financing under Mahama’s next government

Health financing is crucial for ensuring that individuals have access to quality healthcare services when needed. Here are some key reasons why health financing is important:

Universal health coverage: Adequate health financing is essential for achieving universal health coverage, which aims to ensure that all individuals have access to essential healthcare services without facing financial hardship. By pooling resources through various financing mechanisms, governments can work towards providing comprehensive and affordable healthcare for all.

Improving health outcomes: Adequate funding for healthcare services can lead to improved health outcomes for individuals and populations. Access to timely and effective healthcare interventions, treatments, and preventive services can help prevent diseases, reduce mortality rates, and enhance overall well-being.

Reducing health inequalities: Health financing plays a critical role in addressing health inequalities by ensuring that marginalised and vulnerable populations have access to healthcare services. By allocating resources equitably and targeting underserved communities, governments can work towards reducing disparities in health outcomes.

Enhancing healthcare infrastructure and workforce: Adequate health financing is necessary for investing in healthcare infrastructure, medical equipment, and healthcare workforce development. By ensuring that healthcare facilities are well-equipped and staffed with skilled professionals, governments can improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services.

Promoting economic development: Investing in health financing can have positive economic impacts by promoting a healthy workforce, reducing healthcare costs in the long term, and fostering innovation in the healthcare sector. Healthy populations are more productive, which can contribute to overall economic growth and development.

To increase domestic financing for health, the next NDC Government led by President John Mahama will enforce the provisions of the National Health Insurance Act, 2012, Act 852, section 54 which requires the Minister for Finance to pay directly into the National Health Insurance Fund the National Health Insurance Levy collected within thirty days after the collection of the Levy — no capping; no realignment,
eliminate the cap on Internally Generated Funds in the health sector and ensure that departments in hospitals are given significant financial freedom for effective healthcare financing and staff motivation; and exclude the NHIL from all VAT exemptions granted.

By: Anthony Obeng Afrane