Parliament’s health committee pledges GHC100,000 to Ghana Medical Trust Fund
Popularly known as Mahama Cares, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund seeks to provide financial assistance to individuals managing chronic diseases currently not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)
The parliamentary select committee on health has pledged to raise GHC100,000 in support of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, a health-focused initiative aimed at improving care for people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the country.
The chairman of the committee and Member of Parliament for Nabdam, Mark Kurt Nawaane, disclosed this in an interview with Asaase News.
“So we have welcomed the Medical Trust Fund, also known as Mahama Cares. We are welcoming it because it is innovative. It is thinking of bringing in more resources from the private sector, organisations and even the government itself – the ministers,” Nawaane said.
“We, the health committee, are even planning to donate about GHC100,000 to the fund.”
Popularly known as Mahama Cares, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund seeks to provide financial assistance to individuals managing chronic diseases that are not currently covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). It is expected to complement the NHIS by absorbing some of the costs associated with diagnosis, medication and ongoing treatment.
Beyond direct care support, the fund also aims to invest in critical areas such as health-care infrastructure, medical equipment, specialist training, and research – all targeted at improving access to quality health care services nationwide.
Nawaane stressed the need for urgent investment in NCD care, highlighting Ghana’s underperformance in meeting continental health funding benchmarks.
“So if we can get more resources and close the gap – currently we are doing about 8% of the Abuja Declaration. If we can get up to 15% or even more of what we require from the budget – then we will be doing the right thing,” he said.
“We will be able to improve staff motivation, equipment maintenance and even infrastructure upkeep.”
The Abuja Declaration on NCDs was adopted by African ministers of health in April 2011, in response to the rising burden of conditions such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular, and chronic respiratory diseases.
The declaration urged African governments to prioritise NCD prevention and control in their national development agendas and called for multi-sectoral partnerships to strengthen primary health-care systems across the continent.
The health committee’s pledge is expected to boost awareness and financial backing for the fund, which forms part of a broader national effort to address the growing challenge of chronic diseases.
Report by Mark Smith for Asaase News in the Upper East Region
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