The Ministry of Health has launched the National Health Database and the Health Facilities Regulatory Authority’s (HeFRA) Digitised Health Facility Assessment Platform, marking a significant advancement in improving data accessibility within the country’s healthcare sector.
The launch event, held at the Alisa Hotel, was themed “Advancing Universal Health Coverage: Celebrating Milestones and Charting the Path Forward for Ghana.”
The initiative aims to establish a scalable platform that consolidates health-related data from various agencies under the Ministry of Health, enabling comprehensive analysis and informed decision-making.
In his opening remarks, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hafiz Adam, emphasized that the platform would play a crucial role in enhancing information dissemination, data collection, and decision-making processes. He stressed that this initiative is key to achieving universal health coverage and ensuring equitable resource distribution across the country.
Representing the Minister of Health, Deputy Minister Alexander Akwasi Acquah highlighted the significant progress made by The Accelerator project in strengthening the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), primary healthcare, and regulatory reforms. He noted that the Accelerator’s Networks of Practice (NoP) model, which includes more than 90 networks and over 400 health facilities across seven regions, has improved access to essential healthcare services at the grassroots level.
The new National Health Database is designed to consolidate data from various healthcare agencies, streamlining the process for health facility assessments that previously relied on manual registration forms. This digitized platform is expected to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of healthcare regulation in Ghana.
Speaking on behalf of USAID’s Acting Deputy Mission Director, Zohra Balsara, health financing specialist Dr. Stephen Duku commended the collaborative efforts that helped Ghana navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He noted that USAID supported the creation of the “COVID-19 war room,” which provided real-time data analysis and strategic direction during the crisis.
Dr. Duku also highlighted USAID’s role in developing the Health Preventive and Promotive Benefits Package, which has improved the early detection of non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes, leading to increased enrollment in the NHIS.
Dr. Linda Vanotoo, a senior program director at R4D, urged continued collaboration and effective use of digital platforms to further strengthen Ghana’s health system.
The Accelerator Project has been instrumental in driving major reforms, including the development of the Health Sector Medium Term Development Plan (2022-2025) and the introduction of NHIS’s expanded benefits package, which now includes 68 essential health services.
