The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) and international NGO Children’s HeartLink, has held a national stakeholder meeting to develop a strategic plan for paediatric and adult congenital heart disease (CHD) services in Ghana.
The meeting highlighted the growing burden of CHD, assessed current healthcare capacity, reviewed policy support, and explored global best practices.
In a keynote address delivered on behalf of the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Acting Chief Director Mr. Frank Raji emphasized the urgent need for a coordinated, long-term approach to address congenital heart defects in children.
He noted that thousands of Ghanaian children are born annually with heart conditions requiring specialized care, yet face limited access due to financial, geographic, and workforce barriers.
He praised the NCTC and international partners, including Boston Children’s Hospital and Children’s HeartLink, for their continued support in building local capacity and improving care.
He outline the Ministry’s strategy which focuses on three key areas: strengthening the specialized health workforce, expanding infrastructure beyond Accra, and advancing policy for equitable and sustainable care. Plans include integrating paediatric cardiac care into the national child health strategy, enhancing the NCTC as a Centre of Excellence, and improving health data systems.
Participants engaged in in-depth discussions around service delivery improvements, health workforce needs, and long-term planning for congenital heart care. A central focus of the meeting was on strengthening referral systems and ensuring equitable access to high-quality cardiac care for both children and adults.
The one day event brought together key stakeholders from government agencies in healthcare, members of Parliament and civil society to address gaps in CHD screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.
The meeting forms part of Ghana’s ongoing implementation of the National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP).
