High cost of health care pushes families into poverty

A ceremony has been held in Kumasi to mark Universal Health Coverage Day, with a call to governments to take steps to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable. This comes against the background that globally in excess of 400 million people, 17 per cent of them in low and middle-income countries, reportedly lack the most […]

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A ceremony has been held in Kumasi to mark Universal Health Coverage Day, with a call to governments to take steps to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable. This comes against the background that globally in excess of 400 million people, 17 per cent of them in low and middle-income countries, reportedly lack the most basic life-saving health care.

Mr. Christopher Dapaah, Ashanti Regional Chairman of Coalition of NGOs in Health, said that had trapped many families and nations in poverty.

He indicated that up to one-third of households in many African countries borrowed money or sold assets to pay for health care.

The day has been set aside by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to remind nations of the need to provide affordable, quality health care to every person, everywhere.

This year’s event, funded by Global Health Strategies, with focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), was on the theme, “Health for all, right, smart and overdue.”

Mr. Dapaah said when heath care was made affordable and accessible, families could send their children to school, and also save for emergencies.

It was, therefore, important to put in place realistic and workable policies to assure everybody of access to improved health care, he added.

Mr. Felix Frimpong, a Health Promotion Officer of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), identified non-communicable diseases as a major health worry, killing many across the world.

He said these were not only a health problem, but also a development challenge, as most of these diseases were chronic – affecting finances of the patients.

He stated that these were, however, largely preventable through proactive interventions and the adoption of healthy lifestyles.

Dr. Awudzi Yeboah, Ashanti Regional Deputy Director of Health in charge of Public Health, urged everybody to step back from tobacco use, alcoholism and other unhealthy lifestyles.

Source: GNA

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