Mahama Cares launched - Medical initiative to support cancer, kidney, heart patients

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has launched the Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund, also known as MahamaCares, and inaugurated a technical task force to oversee its establishment.

Launched in Accra yesterday, the initiative of President John Dramani Mahama aims to provide support for individuals suffering from cancer, kidney failure and heart-related conditions, among others.

The nine-member task force is made up of a team of distinguished health care, legal and financial experts who have been tasked with developing a robust policy and legal framework for the trust fund.

The task force has been given five weeks to present a comprehensive roadmap outlining the legal framework, sources of funding, and operational guidelines for the trust fund.

It is chaired by a former Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, Rev. Prof. Emeritus Seth Aryeetey. Other members are a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Prof. Emeritus Fred Binka; a Public Health Consultant, Prof. Margaret Kweku, and a Consultant Cardiologist, Dr Alfred Doku.

The rest are a finance expert, Dr Randolph Nsor-Ambala; a representative of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Anthony Gingong, a health policy and financing expert, Dr Anthony Seddoh; a legal representative from the Office of the Attorney-General, Anna Pearl Akiwumi Siriboe, and a Public Health Consultant, Dr Belinda Afriyie, who will serve as the Secretary.

Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, underscored the urgent need for a sustainable and reliable healthcare financing mechanism to support chronic diseases and reiterated that the MahamaCares initiative was a bold response to the challenges posed by chronic diseases.

“Access to quality health care is not a privilege but a fundamental right.

However, life-saving treatments remain inaccessible to many. Chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney disease and heart conditions impose unbearable financial strain on families.” 

According to the World Health Organisation, non-communicable diseases account for 42 per cent of all deaths in Ghana, with cardiovascular diseases making up 19 per cent and cancers five per cent of all mortality cases.

The Health Minister emphasised that while the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had played a vital role in improving healthcare accessibility, it did not comprehensively cover high-cost treatments such as dialysis and cancer therapy.

Hence, the initiative seeks to create a statutory funding structure that would guarantee long-term financial support for chronic disease patients, Mr Akandoh added.

Role

The Health Minister outlined the role of the technical task force, saying it will develop a robust policy and legal framework to establish MahamaCares as a statutory entity, design a sustainable funding model to ensure the fund’s viability for generations, establish clear and transparent eligibility and disbursement criteria to guarantee fairness and efficiency, evaluate the current healthcare infrastructure and suggest improvements to ensure accessibility.

“To the members of this esteemed task force, I encourage you to embrace this role with passion, integrity and an unwavering commitment to service.

The expectations are high and the challenges are real, but I have no doubt that together, you will create a system that withstands the test of time,” he said.

Mr Akandoh also called on government agencies, private sector organisations, civil society and the international community to collaborate with the task force, as their support was crucial to the success of MahamaCares.

In his remarks, Rev. Prof. Aryeetey expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and reaffirmed the commitment of the task force to delivering a sustainable and effective funding model for the trust fund.

He described the initiative as a transformative moment for Ghana’s healthcare sector, likening it to the story of the Good Samaritan.

“This fund will be a source of relief for families burdened with the high cost of chronic disease treatment. It is a demonstration that Ghana truly cares for its people,” Rev. Prof. Aryeetey said.

Background

The MahamaCares initiative, spearheaded by President John Dramani Mahama, aligns with Ghana’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda and is inspired by Ghana’s National Health Policy and the 2018 WHO Astana Declaration.