During the Exemplars study period, Ghana improved the performance of its PHC system by prioritizing the allocation of resources for PHC and by implementing interventions that made those health services more affordable and easier to access. Ghana also empowered administrators at the subnational and service levels of its health system, enabling them to meet local needs. It implemented mechanisms for aligning donor resources behind national health priorities and enabled data-driven decision-making at all levels of the system.
Ghana introduced several pivotal reforms that reduced financial and geographic barriers to access to health services. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), free maternity care policies, and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program made PHC services more affordable. The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPs) brought PHC services to rural and other underserved communities and expanded the number of health facilities and providers nationwide.
Together, these interventions were associated with improvements in the efficiency of Ghana’s health system, equity in service delivery, and health outcomes. Comparably resource-strained countries can learn from Ghana’s experiences and adapt its reforms to suit their own national and subnational contexts.