Ghana President Urges African Regulators to Protect Patients and Build Public Confidence in Healthcare
President John Dramani Mahama has called for stronger, responsive and collaborative health regulation across Africa to protect patients, improve healthcare quality and strengthen public confidence in health systems.
The President made the call while addressing the 28th Annual International Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) in Accra.
Universal Health Coverage Must Include Safety and Quality
President Mahama stressed that achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) should not be limited to expanding access to healthcare.
According to him, universal health coverage must also guarantee patient safety, quality of care, professional ethics and accountability.
He said African countries must strengthen regulatory institutions to ensure that healthcare professionals and institutions operate according to high standards while protecting patients.
Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Pose New Challenges
The President also highlighted emerging challenges associated with the rapid development of digital health and artificial intelligence (AI).
Other concerns he identified include the migration of health professionals, forged professional qualifications, humanitarian crises and the growing spread of health-related misinformation.
President Mahama urged African regulators to develop appropriate frameworks for regulating digital health technologies and AI while ensuring that innovation does not compromise patient safety.
He emphasized that AI should support, rather than replace, professional judgement and human responsibility in healthcare delivery.
Call for Cross-Border Health Regulation
President Mahama further called for greater cooperation among African health regulators, particularly in verifying professional credentials and strengthening cross-border regulatory systems.
He said stronger collaboration would help combat fraudulent qualifications, protect health data and ensure that healthcare professionals practising across borders meet the required standards.
Ghana Targets 90% Health Insurance Coverage
Speaking about Ghana’s healthcare agenda, President Mahama noted that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) currently covers about 76 per cent of the population, with government targeting 90 per cent coverage.
He also highlighted the rollout of the Free Primary Healthcare Programme in about 160 districts, as well as ongoing efforts to expand local pharmaceutical production.
Building Stronger African Health Systems
The President urged African countries to work together to build healthcare systems that are African in ownership, global in quality and uncompromising in protecting the public.
He said effective regulation, collaboration and accountability would be essential to ensuring that Africa’s healthcare systems can respond effectively to emerging challenges while maintaining public trust.
President Mahama subsequently declared the 28th Annual International Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa officially open.