The Ministry of Health has hosted a delegation from the Alliance for Health Policy and the Institute Research Board to explore a U.S.-led initiative focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in pathogen sharing and health sovereignty.

Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to achieving health independence while maintaining strong global partnerships.

He revealed that approximately 45 per cent of mortalities in Ghana are linked to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), noting that the government has established a dedicated fund to tackle NCDs and support the Free Primary Health Care (FPHC) programme, which aims to strengthen community-level health systems.

The Minister also outlined the government’s approach to managing health workforce migration through optimised recruitment to meet national needs, while pursuing structured international collaborations.

He disclosed that Ghana has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with 14 countries, an indication of the country’s balanced strategy toward health sovereignty and global cooperation.

The Minister further announced that Ghana has reached a verbal agreement with an international partner to support policy development for integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the health sector, alongside retooling primary health facilities to improve service delivery.

Former WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, commended the government’s forward-looking health initiatives under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama.

She praised Ghana’s progress in health financing through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and encouraged the country to extend its leadership in health innovation to other African nations.

The Health Minister reiterated that the Ministry’s top priority remains the well-being of Ghanaians, emphasising that Ghana aspires to serve as a model for health sovereignty and equitable healthcare delivery across the continent.