Abstract:
Health is a crucial economic and social asset, particularly for the working low- and middle-income groups in developing countries. However, effective access to health care seems to be practically impossible without a well-functioning system that adequately protects users of health care services against the associated financial risks, especially, at the time they need them. The implementation and goal of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) policy by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), therefore, is to mobilize resources and to ensure equitable and sustainable financing of the health sector. The goal of this study is to highlight measures being put in place by Ghana as a country in order to provide universal access to healthcare for all citizens. Measures to achieve this goal include the development of a comprehensive strategy for mobilizing resources from all sources of funds; pursuing equity in health financing with special emphasis on risk pooling, targeting resources to services for the poor and vulnerable groups, and reducing catastrophic health expenditures. The study adopted a qualitative research method in order to enable the researcher access the views of respondents in their most original state. The research was carried out in Accra, the capital of Ghana where respondents expressed their views primarily through interviews. Meanwhile, secondary data were collected from relevant stakeholders to give more meaning to the opinions expressed. In sum, the research study revealed that Ghana is on the right path in fulfilling SDG 3.8 in terms of funding, human resource development, and infrastructure among others. Also, it was obvious that the NHIS has evolved since its implementation in 2003 and could boast of excellent coverage in Ghana with increasing membership in recent years. Finally, the NHIS is making and continues to make giant strides towards achieving UHC in Ghana. Nevertheless, the main challenge facing the attainment of this goal is the issue of finance which the NHIA is putting in utmost efforts to resolve in order to deliver the quality of healthcare the country needs.
It is obvious that the issue of finance serves as the root cause of the many problems faced by the smooth implementation of the NHIS towards achieving UHC. The study recommends that leadership and relevant stakeholders must make transparency and accountability its hallmark which will automatically translate to the resolution of other problems faced by the scheme.
