Prez Mahama Demands Stronger Health Regulation Across Africa
President John Dramani Mahama has called for stronger, responsive and coordinated health regulation across Africa to protect patients, improve healthcare quality and reinforce public confidence in health systems. He said African countries could no longer treat universal health coverage as simply a matter of expanding access to medical services, arguing that effective healthcare must also guarantee safety, quality, ethical practice and accountability.
President Mahama made the call in Accra while addressing the 28th Annual International Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa, where he urged medical regulators across the continent to deepen cooperation in responding to emerging threats to healthcare delivery. He identified the rapid expansion of digital health and artificial intelligence (AI), the migration of health professionals, fraudulent professional qualifications, humanitarian emergencies and the spread of health-related misinformation as major challenges requiring a coordinated regulatory response. According to the President, the increasing movement of health professionals across national borders makes it imperative for African regulatory authorities to strengthen systems for verifying credentials and sharing information to prevent unqualified practitioners from gaining access to patients.
He also called for greater cooperation among medical councils and other regulatory institutions to improve cross-border oversight and ensure that healthcare professionals practising in different jurisdictions meet recognised standards. President Mahama further stressed the importance of protecting health information as digital technologies become increasingly embedded in healthcare delivery. He said regulators must develop appropriate frameworks to govern digital health services and the use of AI, while ensuring that technological advances do not weaken professional accountability. He cautioned that AI should be used as a tool to assist healthcare professionals rather than replace their expertise, judgement and responsibility to patients. The President said the human element of healthcare must remain central even as African countries embrace new technologies, particularly in areas where decisions can have significant consequences for patients’ lives and wellbeing.
Turning to Ghana’s healthcare priorities, President Mahama said the government was working to expand access to healthcare while strengthening the country’s broader health system. He disclosed that the National Health Insurance Scheme currently covers about 76 per cent of the population, with the government aiming to increase coverage to 90 per cent. He also highlighted the rollout of the Free Primary Healthcare Programme in about 160 districts as part of efforts to bring essential healthcare services closer to communities and reduce barriers to accessing care. The President further pointed to efforts to expand local pharmaceutical production, describing domestic manufacturing capacity as an important component of building a resilient healthcare system and reducing dependence on external sources.
He said Africa’s health challenges increasingly transcend national boundaries, making collaboration among medical regulators essential to protecting citizens and maintaining standards across the continent. President Mahama therefore urged member countries of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa to strengthen cooperation, share regulatory expertise and develop common approaches to emerging healthcare challenges. He said the continent needed health systems that reflected African ownership while meeting international standards and maintaining the highest commitment to patient protection. The President subsequently declared the 28th Annual International Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa officially open.
By: Joyce Owusu
