The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, on Monday, April 13, said the Government’s flagship health initiative, the Free Primary Health Care Programme, will ensure early detection of illnesses, management of chronic conditions and improved overall health outcomes.

He said the Programme, which was set to be launched by President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday, April 15, at Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region, would go a long way to reduce healthcare costs by preventing emergency situations.

Speaking at the Government Accountability series press conference at the Presidency, Mr Akandoh said when people had to pay for health services due to financial constraints, they delay and try to manage symptoms at home, and by the time they come to the health facility, the condition worsened.

“Ghana is facing what we describe as a triple burden of disease. We continue to manage infectious diseases and at the same time, we are seeing a steady and significant rise in non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancers, stroke, and mental health conditions,” the Minister said.

Mr Akandoh explained that said hypertension developed silently, and diabetes progressed quietly, saying, people were living with these conditions without knowing until complications occurred.

He noted that data from a study in 2021 indicated that only 35 per cent of hypertensives in Ghana were aware they had high blood pressure.

“What this means is, for most people, by the time they enter the health facility, they are presenting with stroke, kidney failure, advanced cancers, or severe complications,” he said.

“At that point, treatment becomes more expensive, more complex, and less effective.

“This is why we are seeing increasing morbidity from chronic conditions, and why non-communicable diseases now account for a growing share of deaths in our country.”

He said many primary-level facilities did not yet have all the equipment required to deliver the full range of essential services. “Indeed, data from a nationwide survey covering about 60 per of our health facilities showed that only five per cent had the full complement of basic equipment.” He stated.

“It is even worse for our public health facilities, only two per cent had all the basic equipment that was checked in the assessment.”

The Minister said for a long time, the system had been more focused on treatment than on prevention.

“So, when we bring these realities together—financial barriers, low awareness, late detection, and system gaps, the conclusion is clear: The issue is not only access. It is timely access, equitable access, and preventive care.”

Free Primary Health Care is a government policy that guarantees every Ghanaian to access a defined package of essential primary health care services free at Primary Health Care level.

The Minister said this applied to Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, health centres, and polyclinics across the country, saying, “beyond these delivery points, we will have a more structured approach to disease prevention and health promotion by moving into our communities and households with these services.”

He emphasised that there would be no cost for the preventive and promotive as well as curative services within the Free Primary Health Care Service package, “all one needs is the National Identification Card.”

This, he said, would enable everyone to access care at district, regional, and tertiary hospitals, as well as more advanced primary care services not included in the package; saying, “This is a major shift in how our system works”.