Strengths and Weaknesses of Ghana’s Health System

Abstract

Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of Ghana’s health system in three broad areas: (1) governance, management, and organization; (2) delivery system, pharmaceuticals, and public health; and (3) financing. Ghana’s well-developed, highly decentralized, and evolving health system operates on an integrated three-level (national, regional, and district) scheme and incorporates a community-level health delivery system.Improving health outcomes, financial protection, and consumer responsiveness in an equitable, efficient, and sustainable manner requires a well-functioning delivery system of human and physical infrastructure that includes reasonably priced, available, and effective pharmaceuticals and well-functioning public health programs that target the major disease burdens and are tightly coordinated with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) basic benefits package. Ghana has come a long way toward developing a modern health care delivery system, improving the availability of effective drugs, and operating effective public health programs but continues to grapple with interrelated management, delivery system, and financing issues.