The World Bank Group has launched a new regional health strategy, “Fit to Prosper,” aimed at closing gaps in healthcare delivery while driving job creation and development across West and Central Africa, with Ghana among the beneficiary countries.
The initiative also seeks to strengthen health systems, expand access to care and create employment opportunities, particularly in response to the region’s shortage of healthcare workers.
The event, which was held in Accra last Monday, was on the theme: Fit to Prosper; Investing in health for jobs and development in Western and Central Africa.”
The World Bank Practice Manager for Health, Nutrition and Population in West and Central Africa, Dr Rifat Hassan, said poor health outcomes continue to affect productivity and livelihoods across the region.
She said diseases such as malaria remained a major burden, with surveys in Ghana showing that about 40 per cent of lost working days were linked to malaria alone.
Dr Hassan said addressing workforce shortages could lead to the creation of new jobs for about 800,000 community health workers, most of whom were expected to be women.
She further explained that investments in health and nutrition not only improve current productivity but also shape future economic outcomes.
Citing research, the manager said individuals who received proper nutrition as children could earn significantly more as adults, while health interventions could generate high economic returns, with some yielding over $15 for every $1 invested.
Dr Hassan also said that weak health systems exposed countries to shocks such as pandemics, which could lead to unemployment, reduced learning and economic losses, as seen during the Ebola outbreak in parts of West Africa.
Focus
The initiative would focus on expanding access to primary health care and essential health and nutrition services, particularly for underserved communities.
It also aims to address the shortage of healthcare workers by creating jobs across the sector, supporting efforts at strengthening health systems through improved service delivery, better supply chains and the use of innovation and technology to enhance efficiency.
Dr Hassan added that it was also expected to drive reforms in health financing by promoting government-led “national health compacts” that aligned domestic resources with support from development partners, including guiding investments towards national priorities, among other benefits.
She, however, said the success of the initiative would depend on how effectively countries implemented reforms and translated them into improved services, more jobs and better outcomes for citizens across the region.
Appreciation
The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, welcomed the initiative, saying the future of the region depended on investments made in people, particularly in health.
He described health as a key driver of growth, stressing that a healthy population was more productive, resilient and better positioned to support national development.
Mr Debrah said the initiative aligned with Ghana’s vision of achieving universal health coverage and strengthening health systems to ensure that every citizen, regardless of income or location, had access to quality care.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to the successful implementation of the initiative and called for collective action to improve healthcare delivery across the region.
Significance
In an interview, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, described the initiative as timely, saying Ghana’s selection as host reflected ongoing reforms in the country’s health sector.
He said building a strong health workforce was critical to delivering quality health care, adding that it remained a key focus area under Ghana’s broader push towards universal health coverage by 2030.
On financing, the minister said the government was prioritising “health sovereignty” with increased domestic investment, including funds from the National Health Insurance Levy and growing budget allocations for vaccines.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh