US announces $5m partnership funding for Ghana health insurance
The United States government has announced a $5 million partnership funding for Ghana’s health insurance system.
According to a press release from the US Embassy in Accra copied to Ghana Business News, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer Monday March 20, 2023, announced $5 million in new funding to improve the performance of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and ensure quality of health services in Ghana.
The funding, the release says, will support the digitization of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) processes, make available the Scheme’s performance data, and ensure that health services delivery is safe and effective.
“The health sector is at the core of Ghana’s development. It is essential for the wellbeing of all Ghanaians that funding for health is prioritized. A healthy population is the basis for a prosperous population,” Ms Palmer said at the launch.
The partnership between the NHIA-USAID aims to improve the NHIA’s capacity to digitalize all its information systems.
“Digitalization will make data available to NHIA to better communicate the Scheme’s financial and programmatic status to stakeholders. The partnership will also focus on building NHIA systems to monitor clinical quality of health care services. This actionable clinical data will help NHIA advocate for improved quality of care across public, faith-based and private health care facilities contributing to improved health outcomes across Ghana,” the release said.
It notes that the USAID’s integrated health programming supports the Government of Ghana in the areas of health system strengthening, maternal, reproductive, newborn and child health, as well as malaria, HIV, social protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, global health security, and COVID-19. USAID supports the Government of Ghana to build a more resilient health system and prepare Ghana to face future health emergencies, it added.
The Ambassador joined the Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, to launch the partnership.