Ghana launches national NCD Policy and Strategic Plan at Strategic Roundtable on NCDs

Ghana’s newly launched Policy & Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs (2022-2026) presents a framework to guide the implementation of NCD prevention and control interventions in Ghana.

The Ghana NCD Alliance (GhNCDA), informed by its network of people living with NCDs, provided civil society perspectives in the development of both key documents that were launched at a National Strategic Roundtable on Non-Communicable Diseases hosted by the Ghanaian Ministry of Health on 11 April.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO AFRO Regional Director; H.E. Ingrid Mollestad, Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana; Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu MP, Ghanaian Minister of Health; Dr Bente Mikkelsen, NCD Director, WHO. (Photo from Ghana MoH).

Under the theme “Prioritizing NCDs in the context of achieving UHC and sustainable Development Goals through partnerships”, the roundtable saw the launch of the National NCD Policy and its Strategic Plan along with the Ghana Kente Program supported by a World Health Organization and NORAD partnership, officiated by the Honourable Agyeman Kwaku Manu, Minister of Health, together with Dr. Bente Mikkelsen, NCD Director at WHO, and H.E. Ingrid Mollestad, Norway Ambassador to Ghana. Expanding on commitments made and addressing challenges identified in the previous Strategic Plan, both the NCD Policy and its Strategic Plan aims to strengthen the health system for NCD prevention and control, reduce exposure to NCD risk factors, strengthen multisectoral collaboration and ensure sustainable funding mechanisms.

The roundtable gathered key national and international stakeholders including parliamentarians, traditional and religious leaders, health systems actors, the CEO of National Health Insurance Authority, UN bodies and development partners representatives, the WHO Africa Regional Director, the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, and representatives from civil society organisations, academia and private sector.

The successful implementation of the NCD Policy and its Strategic Plan will require sustainable financing for NCDs. WHO Africa Regional Director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti stressed the importance of addressing determinants and NCD risk factors, ensuring multisectoral action and having people and communities at the centre.

Panel discussion ‘Achieving Optimal, Sustainable and Equitable NCD Prevention and Control in Ghana: A Multi-stakeholder Approach’.

 

Mr Christopher Agbega, Ghana NCD Alliance.

Speaking at a panel discussion, Our Views, Our Voices advisory committee member from Ghana Christopher Agbega highlighted the urgent need for governments across the continent to demonstrate a can-do spirit following on the recent report demonstrating that the world can achieve the SDG target 3.4 by 2030.

The meaningful involvement of people living with NCDs would be a catalyst. Reflecting on his lived experience, he highlighted that, “A nine-year run for my NCD diagnosis in 2016 came down to affordability. Our medications are life-long, most are not on health insurance schemes, specialists are few and far between, decision making is being done without people living with NCDs.”

Adding on the health insurance sector perspective, Dr Lydia Dsane-Selby, National Health Insurance Authority CEO reiterated their determination to be data driven, pin down the true economic cost of NCDs, and think innovatively to improve cost-effectiveness and ensure sustainable financial protection to the population.

The national roundtable will be closely followed by the International Strategic Dialogue on NCDs hosted by the Governments of Ghana and Norway with WHO on 12 April, which will foster discussions on Ghana’s progress in tackling NCDs and the next decisive steps towards comprehensive action on NCDs and achieving SDG 3.4.

The dialogue is expected to launch two key outputs: an International NCD Compact 2022-2030 to accelerate the progress towards the NCD and SDG targets, and the NCD Presidential Group as an informal International Group of Heads of State and Government on the Prevention and Control of NCDs that will meet annually during the High-Level General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2022 towards 2025.