In a major step toward expanding access to life-saving healthcare, the government has launched the Ghana Medical Trust Fund—branded as Mahama Cares—to support citizens battling chronic and financially crippling illnesses such as kidney failure, cancer, and heart disease.
The launch ceremony took place at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) in Accra and was headlined by President John Dramani Mahama, who made an impassioned appeal to Ghana’s private sector to rally behind the initiative.
“This is a call to corporate Ghana—banks, mines, telcos, manufacturers. The people this fund is for are your clients, your workers, your families,” President Mahama emphasized. “Let your corporate social responsibility reflect their needs. By supporting this fund, you’re helping your own community.”
The initiative is aimed at closing the equity gap in healthcare access, ensuring that patients in dire need are not denied treatment due to cost.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who also addressed the gathering, said the fund marks a new era in healthcare financing and fairness. He disclosed that a draft bill to guide the administration of the Mahama Cares Fund is ready and will be tabled in Parliament when it reconvenes.
Akandoh also announced a key financial reform: “The cap on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has been lifted. This has unlocked substantial resources that will now directly fund the Mahama Cares initiative.”
The fund is seen as a crucial intervention to address the rising burden of chronic diseases in Ghana, especially among low-income populations who are often unable to afford long-term treatment.
With legal backing and private sector support, the Mahama Cares Fund could redefine how Ghana responds to some of its most pressing health challenges.
