Former Deputy Health Minister, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has cautioned that Ghana is not yet prepared to fully detach from donor support, warning that such a move could expose serious weaknesses in the country’s health financing system.
Speaking on PM Express, he stressed that an abrupt withdrawal from external aid would place immense strain on the sector.
“Well, currently, I would say no, we just have to do something about it,” he stated.
His remarks follow renewed debate over Ghana’s readiness to independently fund its healthcare system after rejecting a US health deal.
Mr. Acquah noted that the health sector is already under pressure due to declining aid flows, particularly from the United States.
“I’m telling you, the health sector is suffering… especially when the USA and others got cut off,” he said, explaining that several programmes had relied heavily on such support.
He revealed that recent engagements with the Ghana Health Service highlighted looming risks if urgent reforms are not implemented.
“Program managers gave us an indication of what lies ahead if we do not address health financing,” he disclosed.
Despite the challenges, he acknowledged that other development partners remain supportive, offering Ghana some time to reassess its approach and strengthen internal funding sources.
Mr. Acquah also criticised inefficiencies within the public sector, echoing concerns raised by Dr Nii Moi Thompson about wasteful spending.
“We may have to look into our systems and cut off all the waste… there is a lot of waste within our public sector,” he said.
He further pointed out that Ghana struggles to efficiently utilise even the aid it receives, citing delays in clearing donated medical supplies at ports due to taxation and bureaucratic hurdles.
“You remember that big story… even when aid comes, we still want to tax it, and now we say we want to wean ourselves off it. How do we survive?” he questioned.
Referencing the Abuja Declaration, he noted that while Ghana is expected to allocate at least 15% of its budget to health, the framework still assumes continued support from development partners.
Mr. Acquah concluded that the immediate priority should be improving efficiency in public spending while gradually building a more sustainable, self-reliant health financing system.
