The Ashanti Region has convened a high-level gathering of healthcare stakeholders, policymakers, development partners, and traditional leaders to assess its health sector performance and outline strategies for improvement at the 2025 Annual Performance Review held in Kumasi.
The event, chaired by Nana Boakye Yam Ababio II, Nkwantakesehene and Kumasi Nifahene, representing the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, brought together key dignitaries including the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, the Chief Executive Officer of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, and representatives from development partners such as KOICA.
Reflecting on Progress and Challenges.
Delivering the keynote address, the Regional Health Director underscored the importance of continuous self-assessment, noting that the Annual Performance Review—conducted for over three decades—remains a vital platform for evaluating the region’s healthcare delivery and shaping future interventions.
He recalled that exactly a year ago, stakeholders gathered at the same venue to evaluate the 2024 performance and set targets. This year’s review, he emphasized, is not merely about comparison but about measuring growth, resilience, and long-term impact.
Quoting Nigerian literary icon Chinua Achebe, he highlighted the importance of collective engagement: “We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so,” stressing the need for collaboration in tackling the region’s health challenges.
Concerning Trends in Non-Communicable Diseases
The review revealed a steady rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly diabetes and hypertension. Diabetes cases, measured as a proportion of outpatient department (OPD) attendance, rose from 0.9% in 2021 to 1.51% in 2025. Hypertension cases also increased significantly from 2.2% in 2021 to 4.1% in 2025.
Health officials warned that these trends signal a growing public health burden that requires urgent preventive and lifestyle interventions.
Maternal and Neonatal Health: Mixed Outcomes
While some gains have been recorded in neonatal mortality—declining from 7 per 1,000 live births in 2021 to 4 per 1,000 in 2025—maternal mortality remains a concern. The institutional maternal mortality ratio increased from 132 per 100,000 in 2021 to 179 per 100,000 in 2025.
Additionally, the proportion of deliveries attended by skilled health workers fluctuated, dropping from 60.7% in 2021 to 52.5% in 2024 before slightly improving to 54.8% in 2025. These figures highlight persistent gaps in access to quality maternal healthcare.
Human Resource Gaps and Inequities
The report also pointed to critical shortages and uneven distribution of healthcare professionals. Although improvements have been seen over the years, disparities between urban and rural areas remain stark.
Healthcare leaders emphasized the need for expanded training, better incentives for rural postings, and strengthened community-based health systems to bridge these gaps.
Urgent Need for Infrastructure Expansion.
A major concern raised during the review was the state of the Regional Medical Stores, originally constructed in 1978. With the region’s population and healthcare infrastructure expanding significantly since then, officials noted that the current facility is no longer adequate to meet demand.
Calls were made for immediate investment to expand and modernize the storage and distribution system to ensure consistent availability of essential medicines.
Despite a dip in 2024, availability of tracer medicines improved to 80% in 2025, indicating progress but also underscoring the need for a more resilient supply chain.
Advancing Universal Health Coverage
The review was held under the theme “Free Primary Healthcare: Closing the Equity Gaps and Accelerating Universal Health Coverage.” Stakeholders identified key priorities to achieve this goal, including:
Strengthening sustainable financing, particularly through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)
Addressing workforce shortages and inequities
Expanding infrastructure and diagnostic capacity
Enhancing digital health systems and data management
Improving procurement and distribution of essential medicines
The Regional Health Director stressed that improving access to primary healthcare services remains central to achieving equitable health outcomes.
Community-Based Healthcare and Access.
Progress in Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) was also highlighted. While coverage declined from 97% in 2021 to 69.8% in 2023, it has gradually rebounded to 77.5% in 2025—still short of the 80% target.
Participation in wellness clinics remains critically low, with attendance dropping to near negligible levels in 2025, raising concerns about preventive healthcare engagement.
Government Commitment and Future Outlook.
The Regional Health Directorate ,Dr Fred Adomako Boateng welcomed recent government commitments to expand healthcare infrastructure, including the proposed Sewua and Afari hospitals, which are expected to significantly improve emergency care and access across the region under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama.
Appreciation to Partners.
The Director expressed gratitude to development partners including UNICEF, PATH, and Jhpiego for their continuous support.
He also commended district and medical directors, singling out Mr. Ken Tetteh Nartey and his team for their exceptional dedication to improving healthcare delivery in the region.
A Call for Collective Action
In closing, the gathering was reminded of the words of Albert Einstein: “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”
Stakeholders were urged to look beyond statistics and focus on sustainable, people-centered healthcare improvements.
The 2025 Annual Performance Review ultimately served not only as a reflection of past performance but as a renewed call to action—one that emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and commitment to building a resilient health system for the Ashanti Region and Ghana at large.
