A Democracy and Development Fellow in Health at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr Kwame Asiedu Sarpong, has called for urgent action to translate Ghana’s free primary healthcare policy from a political commitment into tangible outcomes for citizens.

Speaking at the JoyNews–Amalgam of Professional Bodies Dialogue on Tuesday, Dr Sarpong stressed that universal health coverage can only be achieved through a strong and functional primary healthcare system.

“Universal access begins with a strong primary healthcare system. The free primary healthcare policy must move from political promise to lived reality,” he said.

Dr Sarpong acknowledged that the national budget has allocated increased resources to Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, district hospitals, and essential medical supply chains. However, he questioned whether the allocations would be released on time and reach underserved communities.

“We must ask critical questions: will these allocations be released on time, and will they reach the last mile?” he quizzed.

He also referenced the 2024 Health Programme of Work, describing it as ambitious, but cautioned that implementation remains a persistent challenge.

Dr Sarpong urged government and implementing agencies to prioritise accountability, timely disbursement of funds, and stronger monitoring systems to ensure the free primary healthcare policy delivers meaningful impact across the country.