Health & Education
From The Report: Ghana 2024
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Ghana has made steady progress in improving access to health care for its citizens, including through the rollout of the National Health Insurance Scheme, which covered more than 17m people as of June 2023. While the Covid-19 pandemic made for a challenging environment in health care delivery, it also allowed policymakers to identify and address existing issues in facilities, the health care labour force and disease monitoring, as well as determine ways to raise standards. In the education sector, the government has passed several initiatives since 2017 aimed at improving education availability and quality. There have also been advancements in Ghana’s technical and vocational education and training segment due to the establishment of a commission to oversee its expansion.

This chapter contains interviews with Dr Elikem Tamaklo, Managing Director, Nyaho Medical Centre; and Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Picture of health: Various programmes have been rolled out to improve access to care and increase funding for research initiatives
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Ghana has made steady progress in improving access to health care for its 32.9m citizens. This includes the rollout of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which covered nearly 17.2m people as of June 2023, or 55% of the population, with the aim being to cover 20m people by the end of 2023. The initiative has helped those seeking medical care overcome financial and geographic obstacles. Although the Covid-19 pandemic made for a challenging environment in health care delivery, it also allowed…

Analysis

Virtual visits: Adopting health tech to close the care gap in emerging markets
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Following a surge in uptake during the Covid-19 pandemic, the telehealth industry is courting investment to further innovation and increase access to care in emerging markets. Digital health companies raised a record $57.2bn in global venture capital funding in 2021, a 79% jump from the $32bn raised in 2020, with 30% of the total directed towards telehealth. However, this figure dropped to $25.9bn in 2022, with telehealth start-ups accounting for $7.5bn of this figure, down 57% from 2021. An estimated…

Interview

Quality care: Dr Elikem Tamaklo, Managing Director, Nyaho Medical Centre, on private sector efforts to enhance health standards
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Interview:Dr Elikem Tamaklo What is your assessment of health care in Ghana in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic? DR ELIKEM TAMAKLO: Ghana’s health care sector stands at a pivotal juncture, calling for substantial investment to fortify its foundations. Prioritising primary care is a critical endeavour, with the goal being to mirror the high-quality health care outcomes observed in countries such as the US and Germany. Making the health care sector more resilient is not merely a prerogative…

Overview

Beyond the books: Policy reforms and the introduction of technological solutions aim to improve the education landscape
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The government has prioritised education reform in recent years. Since 2017 it has passed several initiatives aimed at improving education availability and quality. The provision of free senior high school (SHS) in 2007 and a commitment to increase spending have enhanced access to education, as reflected in rising enrolment rates at all levels. There have also been advancements in Ghana’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) segment due to the establishment of a commission to…

Interview

First class: Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, on boosting learning outcomes through reforms and technology
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Interview:Yaw Osei Adutwum What are the key reforms being implemented to transform learning outcomes in Ghana? YAW OSEI ADUTWUM: Ghana’s education sector is undergoing a transformation to align with global standards and foster economic growth. These changes are anticipated to improve learning outcomes – particularly at the pre-tertiary levels – and support the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Better learning outcomes, increased accountability and equity at…

Analysis

The metaverse in education: Building a digital landscape in institutions of higher learning
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In a bid to expand access and widen their reach, educational institutions are exploring the possibilities of the metaverse and associated extended-reality (XR) approaches. The metaverse comprises a range of technologies that immerse users in a virtual environment. It denotes a 3D medium that combines virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) into a new digital realm, sometimes known as XR. These environments are accessed through VR headsets and are typically immersive, interactive and social. Metaversal…

Analysis

Patented innovation: Developments in higher education aim to boost patent filing
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In terms of the filing of international patents, 2022 was a record-breaking year, with higher education playinga significant role in driving innovation and expanding international practices regarding intellectual property (IP). The UNWorld Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) reported in February 2023 that 278,100 international patents had been filed under its Patent Cooperation Treaty globally in 2022, a 0.3% increase from 2021 andrepresenting the 13th consecutive year of…