The maiden Universal Health Coverage Day seminar in Ghana is scheduled to be held on Monday, December 12, 2022.

The one-day event which will be hosted under the auspices of Nationwide Medical Insurance, in partnership with PharmAccess Foundation will be held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.

The maiden UHC Day will see a gathering of thought leaders and experts in the healthcare ecosystem gathering to discuss innovative healthcare financing approaches for the attainment of UHC in Ghana by 2030.

The UHC Day Seminar will host participants from government agencies, development agencies, the diplomatic community, regulatory bodies, health-related professional and trade associations, NGOs, civil society, and private health insurance companies, among others.

The Chief Executive Officer of Nationwide Medical Insurance, Nancy Ampah, notes the need and importance of private sector participation in discussions geared towards the attainment of UHC.

"The aspirations of UHC align with the purpose and vision of Nationwide Medical Insurance. We are organizing the first UHC Day Seminar in the private space because we believe there is a need for broader, multi-sectoral engagement and private-sector participation when discussing how to achieve UHC in Ghana. Particularly for the underserved population, we must look at creative and sustainable ways to pay for healthcare without driving people into poverty. People can be shielded effectively from escalating healthcare prices and out-of-pocket expenses by investing in or procuring health insurance,” she said.

On his part, the Country Director of PharmAccess Foundation, Dr. Maxwell Antwi, underscores the need for Ghana to attain UHC considering the challenges faced in the health space in recent years.

"The past few years have presented unprecedented challenges for global and local healthcare systems and the journey towards realizing UHC for all. We at PharmAccess Foundation remain committed to leveraging the power of data and digital technology, in partnership with agencies within the Ministry of Health and the private health sector, to innovate, collaborate and build resilient health systems across sub-Sahara Africa that ensure a future with optimism for those who may need care. This year’s UHC Day provides a unique opportunity to harness the global momentum and assess the progress towards achievement of UHC locally and internationally by the year 2030," he stated.

The Ministry of Health in its roadmap for Universal Health Coverage outlines that all people in Ghana must have timely access to quality health services irrespective of their ability to pay at the point of use by the year 2030.

Globally, UHC is a goal in which all people and communities must have access to quality health care when they need it, without facing financial hardships.