West African countries need to build stronger health systems to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030, a senior official said on Friday.
Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Assembly of Health Ministers, made the comment during the maiden Extraordinary General Assembly of Health Ministers of ECOWAS on UHC.
“Strong health systems are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and UHC in ensuring good standards of health and equitable health outcomes for all,” said Agyeman-Manu, who is also Ghana’s health minister.“ECOWAS member states must strengthen their health systems to ensure they are equitable, resilient, and capable of meeting everyone’s needs in individual countries and collectively as a sub-region,” he said.
He called for greater efforts from all countries to fully achieve UHC by 2030. The three-day assembly, which began on Wednesday, 23rd February, 2022 brought together government officials from ECOWAS member states to share country experiences and learn from best practices for achieving UHC.
The question is; why should the Speaker Of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, travel from Ghana to United Arab Emirates (UAE) for medical care when there are Hospitals here in Ghana. This is the third time Mr. Bagbin has travelled to Dubai for a medical review. The first was on November 27, 2021, and the second was on January 7, 2022. After returning from his second medical checkup on January 23, he jetted off once again in the second week of February.
Does that mean Ghana’s Health care centres are lacking infrastructure?
Report by: Awale Basit, KNUST OBUASI