President John Mahama will on Wednesday, April 15, launch the Government’s flagship health sector initiative, the Free Primary Health Care Programme, at Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region.

The announcement was made by Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, at the Government Accountability Series Press Conference held at the Presidency in Accra.

Mr Akandoh said the programme, which would cost GH¢1.2 billion annually, would begin in 150 underserved districts across the country, adding that within the next two months, Ghanaians would begin to see the impact of the initiative.

He said health equipment would be distributed to all 150 districts earmarked for the first phase of implementation.

The Minister said community sensitisation would be carried out through town hall meetings and stakeholder engagements, while trained volunteers would be deployed to support the community health workforce.

He said the programme would also establish more than 350 container-based service delivery points in high-traffic areas, including markets and lorry parks.

“Health workers and volunteers will not only be waiting at facilities – they will be in homes, schools, churches and workplaces, screening, educating and supporting people to stay healthy,” he said.

Mr Akandoh noted that only about two-thirds of the population were actively enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), meaning a significant proportion of Ghanaians still faced financial barriers at the point of care.

He added that out-of-pocket payments continued to account for roughly one-third of total health expenditure.

“In practical terms, many families are still paying out of pocket before they can receive care, exposing them to the risk of catastrophic health expenditure,” the Minister said.