Cut the waste or risk crisis - Former Deputy Health Minister's blunt warning on health financing

Alexander Akwasi Acquah, Akim Oda MP and former Deputy Health Minister, warned on Monday on PM Express that the health sector could face a deeper strain unless the government urgently tackles waste and fixes health financing. He said, "Well, currently, I would say no, we just have to do something about it."

Mr. Acquah pointed to long-standing inefficiencies that continue to weaken the sector, saying he "could not come to terms with the fact that we had aid in terms of logistics from foreign partners, and we could not just clear them from the ports." He also said that Ghana's commitments under the Abuja Declaration still recognise the importance of support from development partners, referencing the "15% declaration by the Abuja declaration." He added that the health sector is suffering, "especially when the USA and others got cut off." He disclosed that he recently met, "I think about a month or so," with the Ghana Health Service boss and programme managers, who "gave us an indication of what is ahead if we do not sit up to look at the finance and health financing."

Mr. Acquah said that other donor agencies are still with Ghana, which "gives us an opportunity to start looking beyond it. And let's look at our source."