Pharmaceutical company MSD has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ghana’s efforts to strengthen women’s cancer care, improve access to healthcare and promote sustainable health financing mechanisms.
The commitment was reiterated at a high-level policy roundtable convened by MSD in collaboration with Africa Health Business (AHB) at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.
The forum brought together policymakers, healthcare leaders, oncology experts, public and private payers, development partners, civil society organisations and private-sector stakeholders to deliberate on strategies for strengthening Ghana’s healthcare system and improving access to cancer care.
COMMITMENT
Speaking at the event, MSD’s External Affairs Director for sub-Saharan Africa, Vuyo Mjekula, said the company’s commitment to the region went beyond providing healthcare solutions.
“At MSD, our commitment to sub-Saharan Africa goes far beyond delivering healthcare solutions; we are dedicated to partnering across sectors to build sustainable, high-performing health systems that leave no woman behind,” she said.
According to her, addressing challenges associated with the implementation of national healthcare strategies required long-term collaboration, innovation and policy alignment.
She said MSD was supporting multi-stakeholder dialogue and partnering with relevant stakeholders on sustainable access mechanisms to help translate policy commitments into lasting health outcomes.
The roundtable comes at a time when Ghana is seeking to strengthen its progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) while addressing challenges associated with healthcare financing and access.
The establishment of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as “Mahama Cares”, to provide financial support for people living with non-communicable diseases, as well as ongoing efforts to strengthen the National Health Insurance Scheme under the Ghana Health Financing Strategy 2023-2030, were highlighted as important developments in the country’s healthcare financing landscape.
FOCUS
Participants at the dialogue examined how such policy initiatives could be translated into sustainable improvements in healthcare delivery and financial protection for patients.
The discussions focused on three major areas: strengthening health system capacity, sustainable financing and purchasing, and multi-sectoral alliances.
Under system capacity, stakeholders discussed the need to improve infrastructure and capabilities across the healthcare continuum to strengthen service delivery and access to care.
On sustainable financing and purchasing, the dialogue examined strategic purchasing mechanisms and health insurance reforms aimed at reducing out-of-pocket expenditure and improving financial protection for people affected by high-burden diseases.
The third pillar, multi-sectoral alliances, focused on collaboration among government, development organisations, civil society and industry players to address systemic barriers to healthcare and achieve sustainable health outcomes.
GHS INTENSIFIES
Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) disclosed that it is strengthening cervical cancer screening and community education programmes across the country to promote prevention and early detection of the disease.
Dr Wallace Odiko-Ollenu, Programmes Manager at the Non-Communicable Disease Control Programme of the GHS, said regular screening and public education remained critical to reducing the impact of cervical cancer in Ghana.
Speaking to the media after the policy dialogue, Dr Odiko-Ollenu said the GHS was intensifying efforts to educate women and communities about cervical cancer and encourage women to undergo regular screening.
“We are trying well to educate communities in Ghana about cervical cancer for them to do regular screening so that they will be able to detect it early,” he said.
He explained that early detection provided health professionals with an opportunity to identify women who might be affected by the disease and connect them to appropriate healthcare services.
Dr Odiko-Ollenu said community-level education was therefore an important component of the GHS’s prevention strategy, particularly in helping women understand the importance of regular cervical cancer screening.
Support for diagnosed patients
The GHS official further disclosed that women diagnosed with cervical cancer following screening could receive assistance in navigating the healthcare system.
He said trained personnel were available to guide affected patients and help them access appropriate healthcare and related services.
Dr Odiko-Ollenu also pointed to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund as an avenue through which patients could receive financial assistance to help address some of the costs associated with treatment.
He noted that such support was important in ensuring that women diagnosed with cervical cancer were not left without assistance after accessing screening services.
INCREASED AWARENESS
The renewed emphasis on cervical cancer screening and education forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases in Ghana.
Dr Odiko-Ollenu urged women to take cervical cancer screening seriously, while calling on communities to support public education and awareness initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of the disease.
MSD
MSD, for its part, reiterated its willingness to work with stakeholders across sub-Saharan Africa to support health policy implementation, promote health equity and facilitate dialogue aimed at strengthening health systems.
The company said its long-term objective was to contribute to sustainable access to healthcare, particularly for women requiring cancer care, while supporting broader efforts towards universal health coverage.
