Health
From The Report: Ghana 2016
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More than ever before, Ghanaians have seen their access to health care improve, and as a result they are living longer, healthier lives. Since the roll-out of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2005, 10.2m active subscribers had been added to the scheme as of end-2014, out of a total population of 25m. This has led to improvements in average life expectancy, which, in the decade leading up to 2014, rose from 57.79 years (2003) to 61.1 years (2013). The maternal mortality rate has declined steadily as well, to 380 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013, down 49% from 1990, though the country is still some way off from reaching the UN Millennium Development Goal of 185 deaths per 100,000 live births. The health care system is currently dealing with considerable financial challenges, but ongoing developments suggest a positive, and healthy, future for the sector.

This chapter includes an interview with Nathaniel Otoo, Chief Executive, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Healthy living: Policy reforms and structural initiatives improve access to and quality of care
OBG
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More than ever before, Ghanaians have seen their access to health care improve, and as a result they are living longer, healthier lives. Since the roll-out of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2005, 10.2m active subscribers had been added to the scheme as of end-2014, out of a total population of 25m. This has led to improvements in average life expectancy, which, in the decade leading up to 2014, rose from 57.79 years (2003) to 61.1 years (2013). The maternal mortality rate (MMR) has…

Interview

A maturing system: OBG talks to Nathaniel Otoo, Chief Executive, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)
OBG
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Interview:Nathaniel Otoo How would you evaluate the NHIS’s effectiveness in addressing Ghana’s key health indicators? NATHANIEL OTOO: Ghana has made consistent and significant progress in the areas of maternity and childcare over the past decade. Although we will not meet the millennium development goals (MDGs) in 2015, Ghana’s most recent demographic and health survey shows that we are steadily progressing towards these goals. It is also important to note that Ghana’s progress towards…

Analysis

E-health: Promoting better health care services through digital platforms
OBG
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In 2010 the Ghanaian government launched a national e-health strategy to improve coverage and expand access to health care. “E-health holds a lot of promise for making the big strides urgently needed for improving the health of our communities, especially those living in rural areas,” wrote the former minister of health, Benjamin Kunbuor, in the launch document for the national e-health strategy. At the time, according to the document, there were five different types of software used to manage…