Health Minister inaugurates taskforce for Mahama Cares initiative

Government has inaugurated the Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund (Mahama Cares Initiative) operationalization taskforce.

They have been tasked to submit recommendations to bridge the financial gap in the treatment of chronic diseases including cancer, kidney and cardio related ailments.

The nine (9)-member taskforce, led by Prof Emeritus Seth Ayettey, has a timeline of 5 weeks to submit their report.

Other members of the taskforce include: Prof. Emeritus Fred Binka, Prof. Margaret Kweku, Dr. Alfred Doku, Dr. Randolph Nsor-Ambala, Dr. Anthony Seddoh, Lawyer Anna Pearl Akiwumi Siriboe, and Dr. Belinda Afriyie, a Public Health Consultant.

The World Health Organization reports that non-communicable diseases account for 42% of all deaths in Ghana, with cardiovascular diseases comprising 19% and cancers 5% of all mortality cases.

Despite various interventions by the government to provide better healthcare for Ghanaians, there are still significant gaps in comprehensively addressing the high costs of specialized treatments.

The Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund aims to address this gap by providing dedicated financial support for individuals battling chronic diseases.

The taskforce is mandated to develop a robust policy and legal framework to establish ‘Mahama Cares’ as a statutory entity. They are also tasked with designing a sustainable funding model, establishing clear and transparent eligibility and disbursement criteria, and evaluating the current healthcare infrastructure to suggest improvements for better accessibility.

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who inaugurated the taskforce said the ‘Mahama Cares’initaitive will complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

“We all understand that access to quality healthcare is not a privilege but a fundamental right. However, life-saving treatments remain inaccessible to far too many of our people. Chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney disease, and heart conditions impose unbearable financial strain on families. While the National Health Insurance Scheme has been instrumental in providing coverage for a broad spectrum of health needs, it does not comprehensively address the high costs of specialized treatments,” he said.

“Consequently, many individuals are left to struggle, and in far too many cases, they suffer preventable loss of life. The Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund, widely known as MahamaCares, is a bold response to this challenge. Its purpose is clear: no Ghanaian should have to choose between their health and financial ruin.” The minister stressed at the inaugural ceremony.

Chairman of the 9-member taskforce, Rev. Prof. Emeritus Seth Ayettey, said they will expand their engagements to as many stakeholders as possible to ensure everyone is well represented.

“Our mandate is well defined. We are to develop a robust policy and legal framework, look at the financial gap and also infr astructure for these chronic diseases in the country. We as taskforce members cannot engage everyone, but we will certainly engage representatives of the various stakeholders to ensure no one is left out. We have been given up till first week in April to submit our report.” He said.