Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has urged African countries to break away from dependence on foreign aid and take greater responsibility for financing and shaping their healthcare systems, describing health as both a national security concern and an economic priority.

‎Speaking at the 2026 Annual Health Summit organized by the Ministry of Health, the Vice President emphasized the need for African nations to invest domestically in healthcare and build resilient health systems anchored by a strong and motivated workforce.

‎“Africa must finance and lead its own health future,” she declared, stressing that sustainable healthcare development can only be achieved through strategic investments in human resources and strengthened national commitment.

‎Sighted on the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang highlighted the importance of strengthening Ghana’s health workforce through targeted recruitment, equitable deployment, and effective retention strategies. 

‎She called for stronger collaboration across sectors to create conditions that attract and retain healthcare professionals, particularly in underserved and rural communities.

‎The Vice President also advocated for structured labour migration arrangements that protect Ghana’s healthcare system while allowing health professionals to pursue opportunities abroad.

‎Addressing the summit, Minister for Health Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh outlined several government interventions aimed at strengthening the country’s health workforce. 

‎These include the recruitment of additional health professionals, expansion of specialist and post-basic training programmes, and improved deployment mechanisms to underserved areas.

‎According to the Minister, government is taking deliberate steps to close workforce gaps, enhance professional skills, and ensure a more equitable distribution of healthcare personnel across the country.

‎He described the health workforce as the backbone of Ghana’s healthcare system and underscored the need to invest not only in increasing numbers but also in improving skills, professionalism, motivation, and retention.

‎“People, not buildings, transform investments into results,” Mr. Akandoh stated, noting that a resilient, motivated, and well-distributed health workforce remains critical to achieving Universal Health Coverage and improving health outcomes nationwide.

‎The 2026 Annual Health Summit was held under the theme, “Building a Resilient Health Workforce to Accelerate the Attainment of Universal Health Coverage.”

‎The event brought together development partners, heads of agencies under the Ministry of Health, members of the Parliamentary Health Committee, health professional regulatory bodies, and other key stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening Ghana’s healthcare workforce and advancing universal health coverage.

Sompaonline.com/Derrick Djan