Ghana’s Parliament on Friday approved a major healthcare financing package, endorsing a GH¢10 billion allocation to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) for 2025—marking a significant scale-up in investment for the country’s public health system.
This approval represents a substantial increase from the GH¢6 billion allocated in 2024, and follows the uncapping of the NHIF in the 2025 Budget—a move Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says will enhance healthcare delivery across the country and close critical funding gaps in primary health services.
The National Health Insurance Fund serves as the financial engine for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), a flagship social protection programme that aims to deliver affordable healthcare to all Ghanaians. The NHIF is managed by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and is primarily funded through the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), contributions from SSNIT, and investment returns.
According to the approved formula, GH¢6.5 billion (65.1%) of the funds will go toward settling healthcare claims under the NHIS, while GH¢1.2 billion (12.3%) will cover operational expenses of the NHIA. An additional GH¢124 million is earmarked for the operations of NHIS district offices, and GH¢984 million (9.8%) will be allocated to the Ministry of Health.
A portion of the expanded fund will be used to support new and pressing healthcare needs, including dialysis treatment under the NHIS and broader coverage for chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as kidney disease and stroke—conditions that account for 45% of national mortality rates, according to Ministry data.
As part of this effort, the government is also rolling out Mahama Care—a health equity initiative backed by the Ghana Trust Fund—which aims to support the poor and vulnerable in accessing essential health services, including for NCDs.
“This is not just about more money, it’s about smarter investment,” Minister Akandoh told journalists. “The uncapping of the NHIF gives us room to invest where the needs are greatest, especially in primary care and services once supported by donors who have now withdrawn.”
The decision to uncap the NHIF is being lauded as a transformative step in Ghana’s journey toward universal health coverage. It also reflects a broader policy shift under the Mahama-led government to reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients, strengthen community health delivery, and address funding inequities in the health system.
