President Akufo-Addo has appointed the Ghana Health Service’s Director of Health Promotion, Dr. Da Costa Aboagye as the new Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

He replaces Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye who has been nominated as a Minister of Health.

The letter of appointment explained that the decision is in line with Section 14 (1) of the National Health Insurance Act, 2012 (Act 852).

The appointee is expected to indicate his acceptance or otherwise within fourteen days of receipt of the appointment letter.

The National Health Insurance Authority was established by the National Health Insurance Act 2003.

Its basic objectives include attainment of universal health insurance coverage in relation to persons resident in the country and others not resident in the country but who are on a visit to this country.

Profile of Dr Da Costa Aboagye

Dr Aboagye’s qualifications include a PhD in National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana (Research) from Leeds Beckett University (obtained in 2016), a Master’s degree in Public Health and Health Promotion (obtained in 2010) from the same university, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Cape Coast (obtained in 2006). His other qualifications include a higher national certificate in pharmacy technology from the Kumasi Technical University obtained in 2002.

The 45-year-old national health insurance expert is currently serving as the Director of the Health Promotion Division within the Ghana Health Service, and bring to the table a wealth of experience in the fields of National Health Insurance Finance, Public Health, and Health Promotion.  He led Ghana’s risk communication efforts and was part of the presidential taskforce for the management of covid-19 pandemic in Ghana from 2020 to 2023.

Prior to being appointed as the director of Health Promotion, he was the cohort leader for Public Health and Health Promotion programme at the University of West London, United Kingdom and an external examiner on National Health Insurance Financing, Public Health and Health Promotion at both the University of Salford and London Metropolitan University.

Furthermore, within the ECOWAS community, he has the honour of chairing the Public Health Risk Communication and Community Engagement for Disease Control within the West Africa Health Organisation. This role entails facilitating experience sharing, advocacy, learning, and promotion of better health through building stronger health systems across the 15 ECOWAS member states towards achieving universal health coverage and sustainable development goals.

Additionally, he serves as the Chairman of the Africa CDC Public Health Risk Communication and Community Engagements Community of Practice for the 55 member states, aimed at promoting best practices, health system strengthening including national health insurance finance, continuous learning and knowledge exchange in Africa.

He has about eleven (11) impactful research papers in field of health insurance, public health and health promotion and has presented his research work locally and internationally extensively.

Dr Da–Costa Aboagye has received numerous prestigious awards and citations, including the MTN Young Professionals Role Model in Health (Gold Category, 2020), the Golden Citizen Award (2021) and overall National Best Health Leader of the Year 2023.

He was honoured with the Order of the Volta – Companion Category, the highest award of the Republic of Ghana, for his contributions and sacrifices during Ghana’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023.