President John Mahama has called on African governments to take deliberate and practical steps to address the growing migration of skilled health professionals, warning that the trend is putting pressure on health systems across the continent.

Speaking at the 66th Annual Conference of the West African Association of Surgeons held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), the President said the solution must focus on improving working conditions and creating an environment where health workers can thrive.

“We must also confront the renewed migration of our skilled health professionals, which is placing increasing pressure on our health systems across our countries,” President Mahama said.

He said that governments must go beyond rhetoric and take concrete action to retain health workers.

“Our response must be deliberate and practical, improving working conditions, strengthening career pathways, enhancing professional recognition, and creating environments in which health workers can thrive and choose to serve,” he said.

President Mahama also highlighted the importance of engaging skilled professionals living abroad, noting that their expertise remains valuable to national development.

He said universal access to quality healthcare remains central to Ghana’s development goals, adding that financial protection is critical to prevent illness from pushing families into hardship.

“Financial risk protection is essential to ensure that illnesses do not lead to avoidable hardship for families,” he stated.

As part of Ghana’s response, President Mahama announced the implementation of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, which he described as a key pillar in tackling non-communicable diseases.

“That’s why in Ghana we’re implementing the Ghana Medical Trust Fund as a key pillar of our national response to non-communicable diseases,” he said.

According to the President, the fund will support treatment for priority conditions such as cancers, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular diseases, which place heavy financial and clinical burdens on families and the health system.

“Crucially, the fund is also structured to strengthen the supply of specialist care. Beyond financing treatment, a defined portion of the resources in this fund is allocated to training specialist doctors,” he added.

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who also addressed the conference, raised concerns about the financial difficulties patients face in accessing healthcare. He said affordability remains one of the strongest factors affecting health outcomes.

“Across our countries, the clinical pathway is often defeated by the financial pathway. Patients delay care because they cannot pay,” Mr Akandoh said.

He described how families are often forced to sell assets or rely on public appeals, while medical conditions worsen and become more complex and expensive to treat.

“Health financing must therefore protect patients whilst enabling facilities to deliver quality specialist services,” he said.

Mr Akandoh outlined steps being taken by the government to address these challenges, including strengthening prevention and early detection through free primary healthcare.

“We are scaling out the quality-focused free primary healthcare initiative to strengthen early detection and referral,” he said.

He also noted efforts to improve the financial stability of the National Health Insurance Scheme and confirmed the rollout of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

“We are also implementing the Ghana Medical Trust Fund to support catastrophic costs for priority chronic conditions, including cancers, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease,” he said.

The Health Minister said that sustainable health financing must go hand in hand with investment in the health workforce. “Treatment capacity without human capacity is not sustainable,” he said.