The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, has held a National Policy Dialogue to address critical challenges in the country’s health workforce. 

The event, themed “Transforming Ghana’s Health Workforce for UHC: Align, Invest, and Sustain,” aimed to tackle issues such as workforce distribution, skills shortages, and the migration of health professionals.

Discussions focused on defining strategic roles, optimizing the health labour market, and fostering sustainable investments in human resources for health (HRH).

 The two-day dialogue sought to build consensus on policies to ensure a well-resourced and resilient health system in Ghana.

Addressing stakeholders, the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, noted that a recent Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA) revealed a mixed picture of progress and ongoing challenges. 

Despite significant strides over the past two decades, Ghana continues to grapple with issues related to health worker deployment, retention, and sustainability.

He explained that nearly 40% of trained health professionals remain unemployed, while rural areas, where the need is most acute, suffer from a severe shortage of healthcare workers.

Additionally, he highlighted a concerning trend: migration. He said over two-thirds of health workers are considering leaving the country, largely due to economic factors. 

He urged key stakeholders to discuss solutions, emphasizing the need for bold and innovative approaches to address these workforce challenges.

 The call to action was clear, rethink strategies, forge partnerships, and ensure long-term sustainability to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

In his welcome address, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hafiz Adam, noted that the Ministry has made significant strides in expanding Ghana’s healthcare workforce over the past two decades, with support from development partners. 

This has led to an increase in the public sector workforce density from 16.56 to 41.92 per 10,000 people.

He reiterated that despite this progress, the dialogue, bringing together key stakeholders is aimed to address challenges by analysing HLMA findings and developing strategies focused on education, job creation, and worker retention.

He added that the discussions will explore ways to strengthen partnerships, enhance policies, and establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure the sustainable growth and effective management of Ghana’s health workforce.

The meeting brought together senior officials from key ministries, alongside stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, private health providers, quasi-health institutions, professional associations, and development partners.

A panel discussion aimed to build consensus on reforms to enhance workforce coordination, regulatory frameworks, and long-term financing to support Ghana’s healthcare system was conducted.