Vice President calls for Africa-led healthcare financing and stronger health workforce at 2026 Health Summit

Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called on African countries to reduce their dependence on external aid and take greater responsibility for financing and leading their own healthcare systems.

Speaking at the 2026 Annual Health Summit organised by the Ministry of Health, the Vice President stressed that healthcare must be treated as both a national security priority and a key driver of economic development. She urged governments across the continent to invest in resilient health systems supported by strong and well-motivated health workforces.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang emphasised the need for strategic recruitment, equitable deployment, and improved retention of healthcare professionals, particularly in underserved communities. She also advocated stronger collaboration across sectors to create conditions that attract and retain health workers while promoting structured labour migration policies that protect Ghana’s healthcare system.

The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, outlined measures being implemented to strengthen Ghana’s health workforce. These include the recruitment of additional health professionals, expansion of specialist and post-basic training programmes, and improved deployment strategies to address workforce gaps across the country.

He noted that government remains committed to enhancing skills development and ensuring a fair distribution of healthcare personnel to improve access to quality healthcare services nationwide.

Describing health workers as the backbone of the country’s healthcare system, the Minister stressed the importance of investing not only in increasing workforce numbers but also in professionalism, motivation, and retention.

“People, not buildings, transform investments into results,” he stated, underscoring the critical role of a resilient and motivated workforce in achieving better health outcomes.

Held under the theme, “Building a Resilient Health Workforce to Accelerate the Attainment of Universal Health Coverage,” the summit brought together development partners, heads of agencies under the Ministry of Health, members of the Parliamentary Health Committee, and health professional regulatory bodies to discuss strategies for strengthening Ghana’s health sector.

The summit concluded with a renewed call for sustainable domestic investment, stronger institutions, and collaborative efforts to build a healthcare system capable of meeting the needs of present and future generations.