A CLOSER LOOK AT THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN GHANA
POLICY OBJECTIVES: POLICY AIM: “To improve access to quality, efficient and seamless health services that is gender and
1. Bridge the equity gaps in geographical access to health services youth friendly and responsive to the needs of people of all ages in all parts of the country”
2. Ensure sustainable financing for healthcare delivery and financial protection for the poor Source: Health Sector Medium Term Development Plan, MoH, 2014, pg. 19
3. Improve efficiency in governance and management of the health system
4. Improve quality of health services delivery including mental health services
5. Enhance national capacity for the attainment of the health related MDGs and sustain the gains
6. Intensify prevention and control of non-communicable and other communicable diseases
Source: Health Sector Medium Term Development Plan, MoH, 2014, pg. 20 POPULATION GHANA (2015) SSA
 Total (in million) 27.4 1001.0
Ages 0-14 (% of total) 38.8% 42.9%
Ages 15-64 (% of total) 57.8% 54.0%
Rural (% of total population) 46.0% 62.3%
HEALTHCARE FINANCING GHANA SSA
Health expenditure: (2014)
$98 HEALTH OUTCOMES
per capita (current US$) $58
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) 61.3% (2014) 58.6
total (% of GDP) 3.6% 5.5%
Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) 319 547.0
public (% of government expenditure) 6.8% ...
Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) 42.8% 56.4
public (% of total health expenditure) 59.8% 42.6%
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) 4.2 (2014) 5.0
External resources for health (% of total expenditure on health) 15.4% 11.2%
MOBILE CELLULAR SUBSCRIPTIONS (PER 100 PEOPLE)
Out-of-pocket (% of total expenditure on health) 26.8% 34.5%
(World Bank, downloaded July 2016) World Bank Oct 2016
(World Bank, July 2016)
GHANA
115.0 (2014)
HEALTH INSURANCE
45% All health insurance / saving products (beneficiaries as % of the population) Ministry of Health Private healthcare SSA
71.0
(MoH) organisations
National Health Insurance Scheme: It is intended to cover 95% of disease conditions and
41% includes primary, secondary, tertiary, and pharmaceutical goods and services. The majority of Ministry of Finance Faith based healthcare
& umbrella organisations
the population is exempt from paying premiums.
Ghana Health Service;
Health professional
Private Mutual Health Insurance Schemes (PMHIS) and Private Commercial Health Insurance reg. health directorates
associations / societies
1% Schemes (PCHIS): target corporate bodies and organised groups. They have a wide range of
premiums and benefit packages. Health Facilities Private facilities are mainly located in urban areas:
Regulatory Agency NGO’s & development
three main locations for private facilities are Kumasi (19%),
Micro Health Insurance: at early stage of development, an example is Tigo where you can partners
4% save money for healthcare expenses through monthly airtime deduction
Accra (17%) and Tema (8%).
National Health Donors
Insurance Authority
ORGANISATION OF NHIS: SOURCES AND EXPENDITURES
National Health
(2.5% VAT) Payments to healthcare
providers, mostly by fee LEVELS OF CARE AND RESPONSIBILITIES 31%
Insurance Levy for service (total ca. 4,000 healthcare facilities)*
Ministry of Finance
7%
Social Security & (2.5% payroll)
Allocations
National Insurance
Trust Contributions National Health
LEVEL 5 Tertiary hospitals | Private: 17% | FB: 0% 6
Admin & General
Ministry of Health
Insurance Scheme Expenses of NHIA 61%
REVENUE SOURCES
Annual budgetary (NHIS operated by
allocations by the NHIA) LEVEL 4 Regional hospitals | Private: 0% | FB: 0% 9
MoH (national level)
government
Responsibility of
Accruals from Support to the
investment surplus National Health Ministry of Health LEVEL 3 District hospitals (364) | Private: 47% | FB: 16% 364
NHIF funds Insurance Fund
(NHIF)
Grants, gifts &
Total active membership (in million) 11.1
LEVEL 2 Health centres & clinics | Private: 43% | FB: 8% 2,346
donations
*Source: numbers of healthcare facilities are based on
Enrollees in Free Maternal Care (in million) 2.9
http://data.gov.gh/dataset/health-facilities and edited by
Indigent enrolment (in million) 1.3
PharmAccess
Premiums Last update: May 2016 LEVEL 1 Health posts or outreach sites, mobile health services
Private: 0% | FB: 0%
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Created in October 2016. Disclaimer: this is a best attempt to provide correct information with limited external and internal databases. If you have any suggestions, please email us at info@pharmaccess.org
