The 2025 budget may shine a spotlight on healthcare, but the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR) isn’t buying the hype. While the government boasts of prioritizing health infrastructure and services, glaring funding gaps threaten to derail these ambitions.
The Government of Ghana’s 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy has placed significant emphasis on key health concerns, particularly issues affecting women and girls.
To assess the government’s commitment, accountability, and financial transparency, the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR) conducted a comprehensive budget analysis on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
Programmes Manager for the ARHR, Benjamin Oppong-Twumasi, noted that while the 2025 budget has made progress in addressing challenges within the health sector, certain gaps remain.
“It is commendable that the government has increased allocations to the health sector, but there are still areas that require clarification. The government has uncapped the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), which is a positive step.
“However, the introduction of new policies will necessitate additional funding, creating a significant financial shortfall,” he stated.
The 2025 budget reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening Ghana’s healthcare system, with a 13.4 per cent nominal increase in allocations compared to the previous year.
This translates to GH₵17.82 billion for the Ministry of Health, marking a GH₵2.1 billion increase from 2024.
Programmes Officer for Policy and Budget Advocacy, Ms Nana Nyarko Konadu, underscored the importance of transparency in the allocation of resources.
“Although the government has allocated funds for free sanitary pads, we require a detailed breakdown. We need to understand how the estimated cost was determined, which agency will oversee the implementation, and what the source of funding will be.
“Additionally, mental health remains severely underfunded, with no significant budgetary provisions for expanding mental health services beyond the three major facilities in Ghana,” she stated.
Despite an increase in National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) funding to GHC9.93 billion, outstanding NHIS arrears and debts continue to pose a significant challenge.
Last Updated on April 4, 2025 by samboadu
