By: Roselyn Ganyaglo
The School of Public Health, University of Ghana, has held its maiden edition of the State of the Nation’s Health in Accra.
The Dean’s Quarterly Seminar and Roundtable highlighted key challenges facing Ghana’s health sector and pragmatic approaches to address them.
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu in a speech read on his behalf said the Ministry is working with other stakeholders to put Ghana in the right position to deal adequately with future pandemics. He called for clarity in strategies, making a case for health funding as this will allow for adequate resource mobilization.
The School of Public Health’s Quarterly Seminar Series aimed at bringing together experts and policymakers from academia, WHO, MOH, research institutions, government and non-governmental organizations, and UN agencies to explore the opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic provided and to discuss sustainable approaches to financing public health emergencies in Ghana.
The discussion which focused on Financing Public Health Emergencies in Ghana saw experts calling for the establishment of a resilient health system through a public-private partnership to safeguard the health of the citizenry. Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu emphasized the need to prioritize policies to adequately prepare the country for future pandemics.
The WHO Representative to Ghana, Dr. Francis Kasolo explained that stakeholders should rethink health expenditure. It must be seen as an investment and not a cost. He urged authorities to be accountable and equitable in health securities. Dean of the School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Professor Kwasi Torpey for his part said advocating sustainable financing for public health is very relevant thus the seminar affirms the school’s commitment to the cause.
The discussions come in the wake of Ghana moving from low-income status, indicating that the country must bear its own cost with limited or no support from development partners.
