Mahama highlights MahamaCare, Free Primary Health Care at UN

President John Dramani Mahama presented Ghana's expansion of social protection and healthcare initiatives, such as Free Primary Health Care and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCare. Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly on September 24, Mahama emphasized how Ghana's national development plan aimed to ensure that economic growth resulted in tangible benefits for citizens.

"At the core of our national reset is an expansion of social protection and universal healthcare," he stated. The Free Primary Health Care Programme was designed to provide Ghanaians with free access to essential primary healthcare services at the community level. Mahama also highlighted the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, noting it supported individuals suffering from serious non-communicable diseases like renal failure, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.

"In conjunction with our National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), we have introduced a specialized fund named the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCare) that guarantees Ghanaians suffering from NonCommunicable Diseases receive subsidized, affordable, and life-saving care," he explained. Mahama believed that democracy should lead to practical social advantages beyond election cycles.

"Ghanaians must experience democracy not only through the ballot box every four years, but through improved access to food, quality education, decent housing, accessible healthcare, and economic opportunity," he added. He affirmed that Ghana's homegrown programs aimed to contribute to the nation's progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those concerning poverty, health, and inequality.