Representing fourteen (14) countries, twenty (20) Fellows from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, paid a working visit to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) head office in Accra.
The NHIA’s Deputy Chief Executive, Operations Vivian Addo-Cobbiah (Mrs.) welcomed the delegation and said the visit was in tandem with the NHIS 20th Anniversary celebrations.
“In our roadmap to achieving Universal Health Coverage, the Ministry of Health has developed an essential service package and given it to the NHIS to align with. In this essential package, NHIS covers 43 percent of the essential services, with 8 percent partial coverage and 49 percent not covered including palliative care and cosmetology.”
Leader of the Africa CDC, Dr. Alex Coutinho, who doubles as the Programs Director of the Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership program said the meeting was impactful and described Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as the best model in Africa.
“The purpose of the visit is to find the best we have in Africa in terms of health insurance. Before coming to Ghana, in our meetings, Ghana’s Health Insurance Scheme tops all discussions, as the only place to visit to learn about health insurance. Everyone sees Ghana’s Health insurance Scheme as an ideal model to emulate. The reason we are here.”
The delegation had first-hand experience of the NHIS achievements, forming part of how Africa is determining its future legacy and accomplishments in health and development in line with the New Public Health Order of the Africa CDC.
The NHIA Deputy Director of Research, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (RPME) Directorate, Mr. Collins Akuamoah Danso gave an overview of the NHIS.
The presentation highlighted the NHIS inception, the legal framework, Membership, Benefit Package, Provider Payments and Reforms, Claims Management, Quality Assurance, and Financial Arrangements including NHIS funding, revenue sources, and application.
The Africa CDC launched the Kofi Annan Fellowships in 2021 in Addis Ababa. With the harmonization of disease control and prevention policies, and the surveillance systems in the African Union Member States with a mission to strengthen Africa’s public health institutions’ capacities and capabilities.
CDC Kofi Annan Fellowship in Global Health Leadership Program seeks to support Public Health Fellows in acquiring advanced skills and competencies needed to strategize, manage, and lead public health programs that will positively transform public health in Africa.
It also seeks to emulate the exemplary leadership qualities of Secretary Kofi Annan with the aspiration that the Kofi Annan Public Health Fellows will then go on and contribute to the implementation of a New Public Health Order for Africa, and in turn, develop the next generation of public health leaders.
Source: Hamdiya Amadu Yakubu
